Sample records for carcinoma ct scan

... cross-sectional pictures of your body. Doctors use CTscans to look for Broken bones Cancers Blood clots Signs of heart disease Internal bleeding During a CTscan, you lie still on a table. The table ...

... exposing your baby to radiation. Reactions to contrast material In certain cases, your doctor may recommend you ... for a few hours before your scan Contrast material A special dye called a contrast material is ...

The Radiation Epidemiology Branch and collaborators have initiated a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the relationship between radiation exposure from CTscans conducted during childhood and adolescence and the subsequent development of cancer.

... may increase the risk of an unusual adverse effect. Women should always inform their physician and the CT ... of data to create two-dimensional cross-sectional images of your body, which are then displayed on a monitor. CT ...

AIM: To compare and analyze the contrast enhancement appearance of small hemangioma (SHHE) and small hepatocellular carcinoma (SHCC) with helical multi-phase CTscanning so as to determine their roles and pitfalls in the differential diagnosis of SHHE and SHCC. METHODS: The pre and postcontrast CTscanning of the liver in 73 cases (38 SHHE, 35 SHCC) were carried out. The first phase scan of the entire liver began at 30s after the injection of contrast medium, the second and third phases began at 70s, and 4 min respectively. The contrast enhancement patterns and characteristics of all lesions were observed and compared. RESULTS: In SHHE, 64.29% (27/42) had typical manifestations in two-phase dynamic scanning, such as peripheral dramatic high-density enhancement of the lesions with progressive opacification from the periphery toward the center, 30.95% (13/42) were hyperdense in both phases and 4.76% (2/42) were hypodense in both phases. In the third phase scanning, 96.67% (28/30) of SHHE were hyperdense and isodense. In SHCC 59.52% (25/42) presented typical appearances, such as hyperdense in the first phase and hypodense in the second phase, 23.81% (10/42) were hyperdense in the first phase and isodense in the second phase with 4.76% (2/42) of hypodense in both phases. In the third phase scanning, 85.71% (24/28) of SHCC were hypodense. CONCLUSION: According to the contrast enhancement patterns of SHHE and SHCC in the two-phase or multi-phase scanning by helical CT, diagnosis can be established in the majority of lesions, while some atypical cases needed MRI for further investigation. PMID:11819317

AIM:To compare and analyze the contrast enhancement appearance of small hemangioma (SHHE) and small hepatocellular carcinoma (SHCC) with helical multi-phase CTscanning so as to determine their roles and pitfalls in the differential diagnosis of SHHE and SHCC.METHODS:The pre and postcontrast CTscanning of the liver in 73 cases (38 SHHE, 35 SHCC) were carried out. The first phase scan of the entire liver began at 30s after the injection of contrast medium, the second and third phases began at 70s, and 4min respectively. The contrast enhancement patterns and characteristics of all lesions were observed and compared.RESULTS In SHHE, 64.29% (27/42) had typical manifestations in two-phase dynamic scanning, such as peripheral dramatic high-density enhancement of the lesions with progressive opacification from the periphery toward the center, 30.95% (13/42) were hyperdense in both phases and 4.76% (2/42) were hypodense in both phases. In the third phase scanning, 96.67% (28/30) of SHHE were hyperdense and isodense.In SHCC 59.52% (25/42) presented typical appearances, such as hyperdense in the first phase and hypodense in the second phase, 23.81% (10/42) were hyperdense in the first phase and isodense in the second phase with 4.76% (2/42) of hypodense in both phases. In the third phase scanning, 85.71% (24/28) of SHCC were hypodense.CONCLUSION:According to the contrast enhancement patterns of SHHE and SHCC in the two-phase or multi-phase scanning by helical CT, diagnosis can be established in the majority of lesions, while some atypical cases needed MRI for further investigation.

A 37-year-old male who underwent a central hepatectomy of the liver for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was referred for an 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) study to rule out tumor recurrence or metastases. The scan showed a recurrent hepatic mass at the operative site, along with low-grade uptake in bilateral pulmonary metastases, mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes, and few skeletal sites. A non-FDG avid intracranial extradural mass was visualized in the right frontal lobe. The 11C-methionine PET/CTscan performed subsequently revealed a larger area of involvement at the primary site, along with widespread metastases to the lungs, mediastinal, hilar, and abdominal lymph nodes, and multiple skeletal sites. Further, dural metastasis with high tracer uptake was noted in the frontal region. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case documented in the literature, wherein 11C-methionine PET/CT played a significant role in delineating the widespread dissemination, including the extremely rare dural involvement in a case of HCC. This report highlights the potential value of 11C-methionine PET/CT in assessing the hepatic and extrahepatic tumor burden in cases of HCC, especially in clinically unexpected locations. PMID:25210286

... lives. CT has been shown to be a cost-effective imaging tool for a wide range of ... accredited facilities database . This website does not provide cost information. The costs for specific medical imaging tests, ...

This upper abdominal CTscan shows multiple cysts in the liver, caused by dog tapeworm (echinococcus). Note the large circular cyst (seen on the left side of the screen) and multiple smaller cysts throughout ...

To determine the computed tomographic (CT) characteristics of nonfunctioning islet cell carcinoma of the pancreas, the CTscans of 27 patients with that disease were reviewed. The pancreatic tumor was identified as a mass in 26 patients (96%) Of the 25 tumors evaluated with contrast enhancement, 20 became partially diffusely hyperdense relative to nearby normal pancreatic tissue. Hepatic metastases were identified in 15 patients (56%), regional lymphadenopathy in 10 (37%), atrophy of the gland proximal to the tumor in six (22%), dilatation of the biliary ducts in five (19%), and dilatation of the pancreatic duct in four (15%). The CT appearances of the nonfunctioning islet cell tumors were compared with those of 100 ordinary (ductal) pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Although the two types of tumors were sometimes indistinguishable, features found to be more characteristic of islet cell carcinoma included a pancreatic mass of unusually large size, calcification within the tumor, and contrast enhancement of either the primary tumor or hepatic metastases. Involvement of the celiac axis or proximal superior mesenteric artery was limited to ductal carcinoma.

Computed tomography (CT) of the larynx is the preferred method for staging laryngeal carcinoma and assessing the extent of injury from trauma. The standard method of examination consists of 5 mm contiguous scans throughout the larynx in quiet respiration. Scans are performed with the patient supine with the neck slightly extended allowing the long axis of the larynx to be perpendicular to the scanning plane. A complete examination requires scanning from the supraglottic region (level of hyoid bone) to the subglottic region (level of cricoid cartlage). In the authors' experience when this method is used, multiple scans are performed cephalad to the level of interest because no upper limit of the examination is established before transaxial scans are done. We have used the lateral digital radiograph of the neck to identify specific landmarks so that the upper and lower limets of the examination can be established before scanning.

A 61-year-old man had been followed up in another hospital under diagnosis of branch duct type IPMN for 4 years. Contrast-enhanced CTscan for regular check performed 3 months ago revealed no increase of IPMN and no pancreatic tumor. However, he complained of back pain after that, MRI was performed. It revealed a solid tumor in size of 25mm diameter at the head of pancreas. The tumor was apparent from IPMN in several imaging modalities. Pancreatoduodenectomy was performed under diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma concomitant with IPMN. Post-operative pathological findings revealed IPMN was adenoma with mild atypia, and solid tumor was diagnosed invasive ductal carcinoma with solitary minute liver metastasis.

Negative appendectomy rate varies significantly depending on patient age and sex. However, the impact of computed tomography (CT) scans on the diagnosis of appendicitis is unknown. The goal of this study was to examine the negative appendectomy rate using a statewide database and analyze the association of receipt of CTscan. Using the California Inpatient File, all patients undergoing appendectomy in 1999-2000 were identified (n = 75,452). Demographic and clinical data were analyzed, including procedure approach (open vs laparoscopic) and appendicitis type (negative, simple, abscess, peritonitis). Patients with CTscans performed were identified to compare the negative appendectomy rate. For the entire cohort, appendicitis type was 59 per cent simple, 10 per cent with abscess, 18.7 per cent with peritonitis, and 9.3 per cent negative. Males had a lower rate of negative appendicitis than females (6.0% vs 13.4%, P < 0.0001). The use of CTscans was associated with an overall lower negative appendectomy rate for females, especially in the < 5 years and > 45 years age categories. Use of CTscans in males does not appear to be efficacious, as the negative appendectomy rates were similar across all age categories. In conclusion, use of CT was associated with lower rate of negative appendectomy, depending on patient age and sex.

From August 1984 to March 1991, 41 patients with malignant liver tumors, 30 males and 11 females, aged 30-75 years were treated at Ramathibodi Hospital with injection of mitomycin-C lipiodol emulsion into the tumor via the feeding artery followed by embolization of the feeding artery with gelfoam particles. The patients comprised 30 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, 4 cases of cholangiocarcinoma and 7 cases of metastatic tumors of which one was from CA stomach, three were from CA breast, and three from CA colon. The vascularity of the tumor was assessed in angiogram obtained prior to treatment and retention pattern of lipiodol in the tumor was evaluated in lipiodol-enhanced CTscan images taken 2-4 weeks following therapy. The results showed that lipiodol CTscan images exhibited four patterns of lipiodol retention in the tumor appearing as opacity as follows (1) homogenous (2) heterogeneous (3) ring-like and (4) none. Lipiodol retention pattern appeared to be somewhat related to vascularity of the tumor. Most of the hypervascular tumors such as hepatocellular carcinoma had homogeneous lipiodol accumulation pattern if the tumor size was less than 5 cm. Metastatic tumors and cholangiocarcinoma showed heterogeneous or ring-like pattern of lipiodol accumulation because they were relatively hypovascular. Hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma may exhibit heterogeneous or ring-like pattern if they are larger than 5 cms, and have multiple feeding arteries, necrosis or AV shunting. Hepatocellular carcinoma with AV shunting may not show any lipiodol accumulation at all.

... a single lesion (pulmonary nodule) in the right lung. This nodule is seen as the light circle in the upper portion of the dark area on the left side of the picture. A normal lung would look completely black in a CTscan.

CT has made it possible to determine the contour of the pancreatic duct, to measure its caliber, and to detect dilatation of the duct. CTscans of 75 patients with pancreatic carcinoma and of 45 patients with chronic pancreatitis were obtained. Dilatation of the pancreatic duct was seen in 56% of patients with carcinoma, and in 70% of those with tumors confined to the pancreatic head and body. Smooth dilatation (43%) or beaded dilatation (40%) were most commonly associated with carcinoma. Ductal dilatation was present in 58% of the patients with chronic pancreatitis, and irregular dilatation was seen in 73% of the patients in this group. About half of the patients who had irregular dilatation had calculi within the ducts. Eight cases of dilatation of the duct with no detectible pancreatic mass were seen in a subgroup of 13 patients who had small carcinomas of the pancreas (tumor size of 3 cm or less). Our findings indicate that a dilated pancreatic duct with a smooth contour and a ratio of duct to total gland width of 0.50 or greater suggests carcinoma as the underlying pathology.

The ability to recognise gestures was studied in 65 left-hemispheric stroke patients whose lesions were located by CTscan. In the acute stage (first month) frontal lobe and basal ganglia were frequently involved in patients showing inability to recognise gestures. In the later (third to fourth month) and chronic stages (greater than 6 months) parietal lobe involvement was important; lesions causing gesture recognition impairment were larger, had more extensive and frequent parietal involvement and produced less temporal lobe damage than those causing aural comprehension defects. These findings are discussed in the light of recent models of cerebral localisation of complex functions.

We describe the use of percutaneous CT guidance for localization and placement of /sup 192/Ir sources into a patient with pancreatic carcinoma. We have shown the feasibility of this procedure and the lack of complications which are probably due to minimal damage to tissue involved. Computed tomography is ideally suited for percutaneous implantation because it provides the most accurate method for needle placement within the abdomen.

We have described a prereconstruction method for dual energy (PREDECT) analysis of CTscans. In theory, this method can (a) eliminate beam hardening and produce an accuracy comparable with monoenergetic scans and (b) provide the effective atomic number and electron density of any voxel scanned. Our implementation proves these statements and eliminates some of the objectionable noise. We constructed a phantom with a cylindrical sleeve-like compartment containing known amounts of high atomic number material simulating a removable skull. Conventional scans, with and without this beam hardener, were done of a water bath containing tubes of high electron and high atomic number material. Dual energy scans were then done for PREDECT. To increase the effective separation of the low and high energy beams by using more appropriate tube filtration, we fabricated a beam filter changer containing erbium, tungsten, aluminum, and steel. We used erbium, tungsten, and steel at high energy and aluminum, steel, and erbium at low energy for data acquisition. The reconstructions were compared visually and numerically for noise levels with the original steel only filtration. We found a decrease in noise down to approximately one-half the prior level when erbium/aluminum or tungsten/aluminum replaced the steel/steel filter. Erbium and tungsten were equally effective. Steel/erbium and steel/aluminum also significantly reduced image noise. The noise in the photoelectric (P) and Compton (C) images is negatively correlated. At any pixel, if the noise is positive in the P image, it is most probably negative in the C. Using this fact, the noise was reduced by postreconstruction processing.

Two cases of papillary carcinoma of the pancreas were evaluated by ultrasound and CT. The sonographic and CT findings were those of a well-defined oval mass with partial cystic change. There was radiologic-pathologic correlation.

This study aimed to evaluate the radiologist's ability to identify excreted gadoxetate disodium within the gallbladder on CTscan. Thirty three healthy adults underwent imaging of the liver during work-up for potential liver donation. Three patients had undergone prior cholecystectomy and therefore were excluded. Imaging consisted of gadoxetate disodium-enhanced magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) and multiphase contrast-enhanced CTscan of the abdomen and pelvis. Two fellowship-trained abdominal imaging radiologists, who were blinded to the MRC images and the contrast agent used during MRC, independently reviewed the CTscans of the 30 patients that were included. The scans were evaluated for the presence or absence of abnormal hyperdensity within the gallbladder. Three patients did not receive intravenous gadoxetate disodium, 4 patients had their MRC after the CTscan, and 1 patient had the CTscans 5 days following the MRC. Twenty two patients had the CTscan within 24 h following the gadoxetate disodium-enhanced MRC. Of the 22 patients expected to have gadolinium in the gallbladder, both reviewers identified hyperdensity in the same 20 patients (90%). Both reviewers reported no abnormal hyperdensity within the gallbladder in the remaining 10 patients. CTscan can reveal excreted gadoxetate disodium within the gallbladder lumen and therefore gadoxetate disodium-enhanced CTscan can potentially play a role in the evaluation of cystic duct patency and work-up of acute cholecystitis.

This study aimed to compare the accuracy of CT and MRI in determining the invasion of thyroid cartilage by and the T staging of laryngeal carcinoma with anterior vocal commissure (AVC) involvement. A total of 26 cases of laryngeal carcinomas with AVC involvement from May 2012 to January 2014 underwent enhanced CT and MRI scan, out of whom 6 patients also underwent diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging(DWI). T staging and thyroid cartilage involvement were evaluated. All the surgical specimens underwent serial section and were reviewed by two senior pathologists independently. When compared with pathologic staging, the accuracy was 88.46% (23/26) of MRI scan (with a 95% confidence interval 37~77%) and 57.69% (15/26) of CTscan (with a 95% confidence interval 70~98%), respectively (P CT or MRI about either the thyroid cartilage was involved or not, and one case of preliminary study of DWI. Compared to CT, MRI exhibited a higher accuracy rate on T staging of laryngeal carcinomas with AVC involvement. Combined utility of CT and MRI could help improve the accuracy of assessment of thyroid cartilage involvement and T staging of laryngeal carcinomas with AVC involvement. PMID:27480073

Supraglottic subtotal laryngectomy (SSL) is a radical, yet voice-conserving, surgical procedure commonly performed for carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx. The pharyngograms and computed tomographic (CT) scans of 35 patients obtained after SSL were evaluated retrospectively. These examinations reliably demonstrated the changes in anatomy caused by removal of the epiglottis, aryepiglottic folds, and false vocal cords. Fourteen patients had documented recurrence of cancer; five mucosal, nine extramucosal. Three of five macroscopic mucosal recurrences in the larynx/pharynx were detected on the barium pharyngograms; the two mucosal lesions not seen were in the base of the tongue and tonsillar fossa. CT enabled detection of five of five recurrences and was superior to pharyngography in demonstrating the soft-tissue extent of disease. CT findings mimicking recurrence were seen in two patients: one with diffuse histiocytic lymphoma; the second, with benign hyperkeratosis. Barium and CT examinations are useful adjuncts to the clinical examination in detecting recurrent squamous cell carcinoma in patients following SSL.

One of the objectives of preoperative imaging in esophageal cancer patients is the detection of cervical lymph node metastases. Traditionally, external ultrasonography of the neck has been combined with computed tomography (CT) in order to improve the detection of cervical metastases. In general, integrated positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) has been shown to be superior to CT or PET regarding staging and therefore may limit the role of external ultrasonography of the neck. The objective of this study was to determine the additional value of external ultrasonography of the neck to PET-CT. This study included all patients referred our center for treatment of esophageal carcinoma. Diagnostic staging was performed to determine treatment plan. Cervical lymph nodes were evaluated by external ultrasonography of the neck and PET-CT. In case of suspect lymph nodes on external ultrasonography or PET-CT, fine needle aspiration (FNA) was performed. Between 2008 and 2010, 170 out of 195 referred patients underwent both external ultrasonography of the neck and PET-CT. Of all patients, 84% were diagnosed with a tumor at or below the distal esophagus. In 140 of 170 patients, the cervical region was not suspect; no FNA was performed. Seven out of 170 patients had suspect nodes on both PET-CT and external ultrasonography. Five out of seven patients had cytologically confirmed malignant lymph nodes, one of seven had benign nodes, in one patient FNA was not performed; exclusion from esophagectomy was based on intra-abdominal metastases. In one out of 170 patients, PET-CT showed suspect nodes combined with a negative external ultrasonography; cytology of these nodes was benign. Twenty-two out of 170 patients had a negative PET-CT with suspect nodes on external ultrasonography. In 18 of 22 patients, cervical lymph nodes were cytologically confirmed benign; in four patients, FNA was not possible or inconclusive. At a median postoperative follow-up of 15 months

A 46-year-old female patient with a mediastinal neuroendocrine carcinoma complicated by superior vena cava syndrome was referred for a bone metastatic workup. Bone scan with SPECT/CT showed several vertebral fixations without alterations on the unenhanced CT, but a CTscan with injection of contrast media showed vertebral densities matched to the lesions described on the SPECT/CT. This pattern confirmed presence of collateral paths through vertebral veins due to superior vena cava syndrome. Lack of metastases was confirmed by MRI.

Using a conventional body CT scanner, computed tomography of the breast was performed on 32 patients known to have or suspected of having breast masses. Xeromammograms were available for comparison in all cases. All mass lesions were histologically proved. Seven patients were examined prone, 25 supine. The prone position yielded pictures that resembled craniocaudal mammograms. Breast asymmetry, skin thickening, stranding from a mass to the chest wall, calcification, and axillary lymphadenopathy could be demonstrated by means of CT. The portion of the breast adjacent to the chest wall was more readily examined by means of CT than by conventional mammography. Internal mammary nodes could not be demonstrated.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (Fag-PET) fused with planning computed tomography (CT) on tumor localization, which guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (Imr) of patients with head-and-neck carcinoma. Methods and Materials: From October 2002 through April 2005, we performed Fag-PET/CT guided Imr for 28 patients with head-and-neck carcinoma. Patients were immobilized with face masks that were attached with five fiducial markers. Fag-PET and planning CTscans were performed on the same flattop table in one session and were then fused. Target volumes and critical organs were contoured, and Imr plans were generated based on the fused images. Results: All 28 patients had abnormal increased uptake in Fag-PET/CTscans. PET/CT resulted in CT-based staging changes in 16 of 28 (57%) patients. PET/CT fusions were successfully performed and were found to be accurate with the use of the two commercial planning systems. Volume analysis revealed that the PET/CT-based gross target volumes (GTVs) were significantly different from those contoured from the CTscans alone in 14 of 16 patients. In addition, 16 of 28 patients who were followed for more than 6 months did not have any evidence of locoregional recurrence in the median time of 17 months. Conclusion: Fused images were found to be useful to delineate GTV required in IMRT planning. PET/CT should be considered for both initial staging and treatment planning in patients with head-and-neck carcinoma.

In order to increase the likelihood of a successful treatment plan outcome, it is critical to be able to effectively view the patient's underlying bony skeletal relationship of his or her TMJ. An innovative approach suggested to achieve this is to use the CTscan, optical scan, and Kois deprogrammer. Once the vertical dimension has been increased, the novelty of this approach is the ability to superimpose both scans along with the Kois deprogrammer and, using computer software, evaluate the TMJ position in three dimensions. This case presentation describes how TMJ CTscan evaluation is used in planning a complex rehabilitation case, given that the occlusion structures can be visualized independently and interactively.

Abstract Rationale: Lupus panniculitis (LP) is a unique variant of cutaneous lupus erythematosus. Clinical manifestations are typically mild and include erythema, nodules, and small ulcers. In certain cases, diagnosing LP may be challenging. Skin overlying the typical subcutaneous inflammation may appear normal, and bacterial superinfections of the skin sometimes mask the underlying LP. It has been suggested that a computed tomography (CT) scan may help to identify obscure LP lesions. Here, we report a case of a 54-year-old woman with an unusually severe form of LP, in which the full disease extent was only revealed by a fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/CTscan. Patient concerns/Diagnoses/Interventions/Outcomes: Our patient initially presented with a bacterial infection of the skin. After initial improvement with antibiotic treatment, new erythematous lesions and sterile subcutaneous pus collections developed. An FDG-PET/CTscan revealed extensive subcutaneous inflammation at sites that had appeared normal during physical examination and on CTscan. As the subcutaneous lesions showed a remarkably linear pattern on FDG-PET/CTscan, the patient was suspected of having LP. After confirmation of this diagnosis by a deep-skin biopsy, our patient was treated with systemic glucocorticoids. Eventually, our patient succumbed to complications of LP and its treatment. Lessons: Our case demonstrates that clinical manifestations of LP are not always mild and that timely diagnosis is needed. Furthermore, we show that obscure LP lesions are more readily identified on an FDG-PET/CTscan than CTscan. PMID:27902603

Purpose: The diversity of lung nodules poses difficulty for the current computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) schemes for lung nodule detection on computed tomography (CT) scan images, especially in large-scale CT screening studies. We proposed a novel CAD scheme based on a hybrid method to address the challenges of detection in diverse lung nodules. Methods: The hybrid method proposed in this paper integrates several existing and widely used algorithms in the field of nodule detection, including morphological operation, dot-enhancement based on Hessian matrix, fuzzy connectedness segmentation, local density maximum algorithm, geodesic distance map, and regression tree classification. All of the adopted algorithms were organized into tree structures with multi-nodes. Each node in the tree structure aimed to deal with one type of lung nodule. Results: The method has been evaluated on 294 CTscans from the Lung Image Database Consortium (LIDC) dataset. The CTscans were randomly divided into two independent subsets: a training set (196 scans) and a test set (98 scans). In total, the 294 CTscans contained 631 lung nodules, which were annotated by at least two radiologists participating in the LIDC project. The sensitivity and false positive per scan for the training set were 87% and 2.61%. The sensitivity and false positive per scan for the testing set were 85.2% and 3.13%. Conclusions: The proposed hybrid method yielded high performance on the evaluation dataset and exhibits advantages over existing CAD schemes. We believe that the present method would be useful for a wide variety of CT imaging protocols used in both routine diagnosis and screening studies.

Multidetector row computed tomography (CT) allows noninvasive anatomic and functional imaging of the heart, great vessels, and the coronary arteries. In recent years, there have been several advances in CT hardware, which have expanded the clinical utility of CT for cardiovascular imaging; such advances are ongoing. This review article from the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) Basic and Emerging Sciences and Technology (BEST) Working Group summarizes the technical aspects of current state-of-the-art CT hardware and describes the scan modes this hardware supports for cardiovascular CT imaging. PMID:22551595

Multidetector row computed tomography (CT) allows noninvasive anatomic and functional imaging of the heart, great vessels, and coronary arteries. In recent years, there have been several advances in CT hardware, which have expanded the clinical utility of CT for cardiovascular imaging; such advances are ongoing. This review article from the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography Basic and Emerging Sciences and Technology Working Group summarizes the technical aspects of current state-of-the-art CT hardware and describes the scan modes this hardware supports for cardiovascular CT imaging.

We scanned a Booster Nozzle for NASA with our 9 meV LINAC, AmSi panel scanner. Three scans were performed using different filtering schemes and different positions of the nozzle. The results of the scan presented here are taken from the scan which provided the best contrast and lowest noise of the three. Our inspection data shows a number of indications of voids in the outer coating of rubber/carbon. The voids are mostly on the side of the nozzle, but a few small voids are present at the ends of the nozzle. We saw no large voids in the adhesive layer between the Aluminum and the inner layer of carbon. This 3D inspection data did show some variation in the size of the adhesive layer, but none of the indications were larger than 3 pixels in extent (21 mils). We have developed a variety of contour estimation and extraction techniques for inspecting small spaces between layers. These tools might work directly on un-sectioned nozzles since the circular contours will fit with our tools a little better. Consequently, it would be useful to scan a full nozzle to ensure there are no untoward degradations in data quality, and to see if our tools would work to extract the adhesive layer.

Early experience with body CT suggested its usefulness in many diagnostic problems; jaundice, renal and pancreatic masses, and in the evaluation of relatively inaccessible parts of the body, such as the retroperitineum, mediastinum, and pelvis. Investigation of hepatic disease by CT was not unexpectedly compared to radionuclide liver scanning, the major preexisting modality for imaging the liver. In the evaluation of the jaundiced patient, CT rapidly assumed a major role, providing more specific information about the liver than the RN liver scan, as well as demonstrating adjacent organs. CT differentiate obstructive from non-obstructive jaundice. With respect to mass lesions of the liver, the RN liver scan is more sensitive than CT but less specific. The abnormalities on an isotope image of the liver consist of normal variants in configuration, extrinsic compression by adjacent structures, cysts, hemangiomata, abscesses, and neoplasms. These suspected lesions may then be better delineated by the CT image, and a more precise diagnosis made. The physiologic information provided by the RN liver scan is an added facet which is helpful in the patient with diffuse hepatic disease. The CT image will be normal in many of these patients, however, hemochromatosis and fatty infiltration lend themselves especially to density evaluation by CT. The evaluation of lymphoma is more thorough with CT. Structures other than the liver, such as lymph nodes, are visualized. Gallium, however, provides additional isotopic information in patients with lymphoma, and in addition, is known to be useful in the investigation of a febrile patient with an abscess. Newer isotopic agents expand hepatic imaging in other directions, visualizing the biliary tree and evaluating the jaundiced patient.

... CAT scan (computed tomography) is a much more sensitive imaging technique than x-ray, allowing high definition not only of the bony structures, but of the soft tissues. Clear images of organs such as the brain, muscles, joint structures, veins ...

The role of adding single-photon emission CT (SPECT) to /sup 99m/Tc-labeled RBC imaging of the liver was evaluated by specifically focusing on the differentiation between hepatic hemangioma and hepatocellular carcinoma. Planar RBC imaging followed by blood-pool SPECT scanning was performed in 77 patients with a total of 108 hemangiomas and in 29 patients with a total of 46 hepatocellular carcinomas. All lesions were smaller than 5 cm in diameter. Thirty-six (33%) of 108 hemangiomas were detected by planar delayed RBC imaging, whereas 63 (58%) were detected by the delayed RBC-SPECT scan. The smallest hemangioma shown by delayed RBC-SPECT scanning was 1.4 cm in diameter, compared with 1.7 cm by planar RBC scanning. When confined to nodules larger than 1.4 cm in diameter, 42% of hemangiomas (36/85) were detected by planar delayed RBC imaging, whereas 74% (63/85) were detected by delayed RBC-SPECT. Increase in sensitivity was noted in nodules 2.1-4.0 cm in diameter. No hepatocellular carcinomas were shown by delayed RBC planar or SPECT scans. We concluded that with the addition of SPECT, the sensitivity of delayed RBC scans in the detection of small hemangiomas is considerably improved. Delayed RBC-SPECT scanning can be used to distinguish hemangioma from hepatocellular carcinoma.

Investigation of the bypassed stomach in patients with suspected peptic ulcer disease presents a major challenge to bariatric surgeons. Various methods have been suggested for visualization of the duodenum and bypassed stomach. These include endoscopy via percutaneous gastrostomy access, retrograde endoscopy and virtual gastroscopy using CTscan. We present a case of peptic ulcer bleeding diagnosed with the help of conventional CTscan. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second such case reported in the literature and the first in the bariatric population.

Alzheimer disease (AD) primarily affects older adults. This neurodegenerative disorder is the most common cause of dementia and is a leading source of their morbidity and mortality. Patient care costs in the United States are about 200 billion dollars and will more than double by 2040. This case report describes the remarkable improvement in a patient with advanced AD in hospice who received 5 computed tomography scans of the brain, about 40 mGy each, over a period of 3 months. The mechanism appears to be radiation-induced upregulation of the patient’s adaptive protection systems against AD, which partially restored cognition, memory, speech, movement, and appetite. PMID:27103883

The half-scan cone beam technique, requiring a scan for 180° plus detector width only, can help achieve both shorter scan time as well as higher exposure in each individual projection image. This purpose of this paper is to investigate whether half-scan cone beam CT technique can provide acceptable images for clinical application. The half-scan cone beam reconstruction algorithm uses modified Parker's weighting function and reconstructs from slightly more than half of the projection views for full-scan, giving out promising results. A rotation phantom, stationary gantry bench top system was built to conduct experiments to evaluate half-scan cone beam breast CT technique. A post-mastectomy breast specimen, a stack of lunch meat slices embedded with various sizes of calcifications and a polycarbonate phantom inserted with glandular and adipose tissue equivalents are imaged and reconstructed for comparison study. A subset of full-scan projection images of a mastectomy specimen were extracted and used as the half-scan projection data for reconstruction. The results show half-scan reconstruction algorithm for cone beam breast CT images does not significantly degrade image quality when compared with the images of same or even half the radiation dose level. Our results are encouraging, emphasizing the potential advantages in the use of half-scan technique for cone beam breast imaging.

Dual modality micro-CT and SPECT imaging can play an important role in preclinical studies designed to investigate mechanisms, progression, and therapies for acute lung injury in rats. SPECT imaging involves examining the uptake of radiopharmaceuticals within the lung, with the hypothesis that uptake is sensitive to the health or disease status of the lung tissue. Methods of quantifying lung uptake and comparison of right and left lung uptake generally begin with identifying and segmenting the lung region within the 3D reconstructed SPECT volume. However, identification of the lung boundaries and the fissure between the left and right lung is not always possible from the SPECT images directly since the radiopharmaceutical may be taken up by other surrounding tissues. Thus, our SPECT protocol begins with a fast CTscan, the lung boundaries are identified from the CT volume, and the CT region is coregistered with the SPECT volume to obtain the SPECT lung region. Segmenting rat lungs within the CT volume is particularly challenging due to the relatively low resolution of the images and the rat's unique anatomy. Thus, we have developed an automated segmentation algorithm for low resolution micro-CTscans that utilizes depth maps to detect fissures on the surface of the lung volume. The fissure's surface location is in turn used to interpolate the fissure throughout the lung volume. Results indicate that the segmentation method results in left and right lung regions consistent with rat lung anatomy.

In this brief analysis we compare the risks and benefits of performing a CTscan to confirm appendicitis prior to surgery instead of operating based on the surgeon's clinical diagnosis. We conclude that the benefit of universal imaging is to avoid 12 unnecessary appendectomies but the cost of those 12 avoided surgeries is one cancer death due to the imaging.

Distal tibial physeal fractures are the second most common growth plate injury and the most common cause of growth arrest and deformity. This study assesses the accuracy of pre-operative planning for placement of the screws in these fractures using either standard radiographs or CTscans. We studied 62 consecutive physeal fractures over a period of four years. An outline of a single cut of the CTscan was used for each patient. An ideal position for the screw was determined as being perpendicular to and at the midpoint of the fracture. The difference in entry point and direction of the screw between the ideal and the observers' assessments were compared using the paired Student's t-test. There was a statistically significant improvement (p < 0.0001) in the accuracy of the point of insertion and the direction of the screw on the pre-operative plan when CTscans were used rather than plain radiographs. We would, therefore, recommend that CTscans are routinely used in the pre-operative assessment and treatment of distal tibial physeal fractures.

Thyroid nodules are encountered in clinical practice during the diagnostic procedures or patients' follow-up due to other diseases quite far from the thyroid gland with prevalence 4-50% in general population, depending on age, diagnostic method and race. The prevalence of thyroid nodules increases with age and their clarification should be done for their adequate treatment. An 18F-FDG PET/CT was done with a PET/CT scanner (Philips Gemini TF), consisting of dedicated lutetium orthosilicate full ring PET scanner and 16 slice CT. The PET/CTscan of the whole-body revealed on the CT portion a hypodense nodular lesion in the left lobe of the thyroid gland with increased uptake of 18F-FDG on the PET with SUVmax 10.3 and demonstrated a complete response to the induction therapy of the main oncological disease of the patient--squamous cell carcinoma. This clinical case demonstrates that whole-body 18F-FDG-PET/CT has an increasingly important role in the early evaluation of thyroid cancer as a second independent malignant localization. Focal thyroid lesion with high risk of thyroid malignancy was incidentally found on 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Spine surgery is associated with a significant risk of postoperative pulmonary embolism (PE) and/or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The goal of this study was to determine which symptoms and risk factors were associated with spiral CTscans positive for PE and/or DVT in the postoperative spine surgery patient. We conducted a retrospective review of all spine patients who underwent a postoperative CT to rule out PE during the period of March 2004–February 2006. The type of surgical procedure, risk factors, symptoms prompting scan ordering, anticoagulation, and treatment were recorded. Logistic regression models were used to determine significant predictors of a positive CT in this patient population. Of the 3,331 patients that had spine surgery during the study period, 130 (3.9%) had a spiral CTscan to rule out PE and/or proximal DVT. Thirty-three of the 130 (25.4%) CTscans were positive for PE only, five (3.8%) for PE and DVT, and three (2.3%) for DVT only. Only 24.5% (32) patients had risk factors for thromboembolic disease, and of these, a history of PE and/or DVT was the only significant risk factor for a positive scan (p = 0.03). No presenting symptoms or demographic variables were noted to have a significant association with PE and/or DVT. The type of surgical procedure (i.e., anterior, posterior, and percutaneous) was not associated with an increased risk for PE and/or DVT. Patients who are undergoing spine surgery with a history of thromboembolic disease should be carefully monitored postoperatively and may benefit from more aggressive prophylaxis. PMID:22294955

This study describes a system for interactive annotation of thoracic CTscans. Lung volumes in these scans are segmented and subdivided into roughly spherical volumes of interest (VOIs) with homogeneous texture using a clustering procedure. For each 3D VOI, 72 features are calculated. The observer inspects the scan to determine which textures are present and annotates, with mouse clicks, several VOIs of each texture. Based on these annotations, a k-nearest-neighbor classifier is trained, which classifies all remaining VOIs in the scan. The algorithm then presents a slice with suggested annotations to the user, in which the user can correct mistakes. The classifier is retrained, taking into account these new annotations, and the user is presented another slice for correction. This process continues until at least 50% of all lung voxels in the scan have been classified. The remaining VOIs are classified automatically. In this way, the entire lung volume is annotated. The system has been applied to scans of patients with usual and non-specific interstitial pneumonia. The results of interactive annotation are compared to a setup in which the user annotates all predefined VOIs manually. The interactive system is 3.7 times as fast as complete manual annotation of VOIs and differences between the methods are similar to interobserver variability. This is a first step towards precise volumetric quantitation of texture patterns in thoracic CT in clinical research and in clinical practice.

The goal of this work was to develop and validate a pancreas tumor animal model to investigate the relationship between photodynamic therapy (PDT) effectiveness and photosensitizer drug delivery. More specifically, this work lays the foundation for investigating the utility of dynamic contrast enhanced blood perfusion imaging to be used to inform subsequent PDT. A VX2 carcinoma rabbit cell line was grown in the tail of the pancreas of three New Zealand White rabbits and approximately 3-4 weeks after implantation the rabbits were imaged on a CT scanner using a contrast enhanced perfusion protocol, providing parametric maps of blood flow, blood volume, mean transit time, and vascular permeability surface area product.

The aim of the present study was to determine the usefulness of the positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in the detection of recurrence or metastasization of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) in patients with abnormal thyroglobulin levels and negative findings on the 131I-diagnostic whole-body scanning (dWBS). Fifteen patients with DTC, abnormal thyroglobulin levels, and negative 131I-dWBS findings were scanned using the 18F-FDG PET/CT. Positive diagnosis was based on postoperative histologic findings, and clinical and imaging follow-up results obtained in the subsequent 6 months. In addition, preoperative and postoperative thyroglobulin levels were compared. Using the findings of 18F-FDG PET/CT and data on confirmed positive diagnosis, sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) were calculated. Sensitivity and PPV of PET/CT in detecting recurrence or metastasisization of DTC were 93.30 and 91.40%, respectively. Furthermore, postoperative thyroglobulin levels were markedly lower compared to the preoperative levels (respectively, 4.67±1.71 vs. 58.53±18.34 ng/ml; p<0.05). PET/CTscan with 18F-FDG is an informative technique for the detection of recurrent or metastasized DTC in patients with abnormal thyroglobulin levels and negative 131I-dWBS findings. PMID:27073490

The textural patterns in the lung parenchyma, as visible on computed tomography (CT) scans, are essential to make a correct diagnosis in interstitial lung disease. We developed one automatic and two interactive protocols for classification of normal and seven types of abnormal lung textures. Lungs were segmented and subdivided into volumes of interest (VOIs) with homogeneous texture using a clustering approach. In the automatic protocol, VOIs were classified automatically by an extra-trees classifier that was trained using annotations of VOIs from other CTscans. In the interactive protocols, an observer iteratively trained an extra-trees classifier to distinguish the different textures, by correcting mistakes the classifier makes in a slice-by-slice manner. The difference between the two interactive methods was whether or not training data from previously annotated scans was used in classification of the first slice. The protocols were compared in terms of the percentages of VOIs that observers needed to relabel. Validation experiments were carried out using software that simulated observer behavior. In the automatic classification protocol, observers needed to relabel on average 58% of the VOIs. During interactive annotation without the use of previous training data, the average percentage of relabeled VOIs decreased from 64% for the first slice to 13% for the second half of the scan. Overall, 21% of the VOIs were relabeled. When previous training data was available, the average overall percentage of VOIs requiring relabeling was 20%, decreasing from 56% in the first slice to 13% in the second half of the scan.

We developed and evaluated a prototype flat-panel detector based Volume CT (fpVCT) scanner. The fpVCT scanner consists of a Varian 4030CB a-Si flat-panel detector mounted in a multi slice CT-gantry (Siemens Medical Solutions). It provides a 25 cm field of view with 18 cm z-coverage at the isocenter. In addition to the standard tomographic scanning, fpVCT allows two new scan modes: (1) fluoroscopic imaging from any arbitrary rotation angle, and (2) continuous, time-resolved tomographic scanning of a dynamically changing viewing volume. Fluoroscopic imaging is feasible by modifying the standard CT gantry so that the imaging chain can be oriented along any user-selected rotation angle. Scanning with a stationary gantry, after it has been oriented, is equivalent to a conventional fluoroscopic examination. This scan mode enables combined use of high-resolution tomography and real-time fluoroscopy with a clinically usable field of view in the z direction. The second scan mode allows continuous observation of a timeevolving process such as perfusion. The gantry can be continuously rotated for up to 80 sec, with the rotation time ranging from 3 to 20 sec, to gather projection images of a dynamic process. The projection data, that provides a temporal log of the viewing volume, is then converted into multiple image stacks that capture the temporal evolution of a dynamic process. Studies using phantoms, ex vivo specimens, and live animals have confirmed that these new scanning modes are clinically usable and offer a unique view of the anatomy and physiology that heretofore has not been feasible using static CTscanning. At the current level of image quality and temporal resolution, several clinical applications such a dynamic angiography, tumor enhancement pattern and vascularity studies, organ perfusion, and interventional applications are in reach.

Colitis is inflammation of the colon due to neutropenia, inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn disease), infection and immune compromise. Colitis is often associated with thickening of the colon wall. The wall of a colon afflicted with colitis is much thicker than normal. For example, the mean wall thickness in Crohn disease is 11-13 mm compared to the wall of the normal colon that should measure less than 3 mm. Colitis can be debilitating or life threatening, and early detection is essential to initiate proper treatment. In this work, we apply high-capacity convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to bottom-up region proposals to detect potential colitis on CTscans. Our method first generates around 3000 category-independent region proposals for each slice of the input CTscan using selective search. Then, a fixed-length feature vector is extracted from each region proposal using a CNN. Finally, each region proposal is classified and assigned a confidence score with linear SVMs. We applied the detection method to 260 images from 26 CTscans of patients with colitis for evaluation. The detection system can achieve 0.85 sensitivity at 1 false positive per image.

Emphysema is a lung disease characterized by destruction of the alveolar air sacs and is associated with long-term respiratory dysfunction. CTscans allow for imaging of the anatomical basis of emphysema, and several measures have been introduced for the quantification of the extent of disease. In this paper we compare these measures for repeatability over time. The measures of interest in this study are emphysema index, mean lung density, histogram percentile, and the fractal dimension. To allow for direct comparisons, the measures were normalized to a 0-100 scale. These measures have been computed for a set of 2,027 scan pairs in which the mean interval between scans was 1.15 years (σ: 93 days). These independent pairs were considered with respect to three different scanning conditions (a) 223 pairs where both were scanned with a 5 mm slice thickness protocol, (b) 695 with the first scanned with the 5 mm protocol and the second with a 1.25 mm protocol, and (c) 1109 pairs scanned both times using a 1.25 mm protocol. We found that average normalized emphysema index and histogram percentiles scores increased by 5.9 and 11 points respectively, while the fractal dimension showed stability with a mean difference of 1.2. We also found, a 7 point bias introduced for emphysema index under condition (b), and that the fractal dimension measure is least affected by scanner parameter changes.

PurposeThe aim of this study is twofold: to determine the complication rate in computed tomography (CT)-guided biopsies and drainages, and to evaluate the value of postinterventional CT control scans.MethodsRetrospective analysis of 1,067 CT-guided diagnostic biopsies (n = 476) and therapeutic drainages (n = 591) in thoracic (n = 37), abdominal (n = 866), and musculoskeletal (ms) (n = 164) locations. Severity of any complication was categorized as minor or major. To assess the need for postinterventional CT control scans, it was determined whether complications were detected clinically, on peri-procedural scans or on postinterventional scans only.ResultsThe complication rate was 2.5 % in all procedures (n = 27), 4.4 % in diagnostic punctures, and 1.0 % in drainages; 13.5 % in thoracic, 2.0 % in abdominal, and 3.0 % in musculoskeletal procedures. There was only 1 major complication (0.1 %). Pneumothorax (n = 14) was most frequent, followed by bleeding (n = 9), paresthesia (n = 2), material damage (n = 1), and bone fissure (n = 1). Postinterventional control acquisitions were performed in 65.7 % (701 of 1,067). Six complications were solely detectable in postinterventional control acquisitions (3 retroperitoneal bleeds, 3 pneumothoraces); all other complications were clinically detectable (n = 4) and/or visible in peri-interventional controls (n = 21).ConclusionComplications in CT-guided interventions are rare. Of these, thoracic interventions had the highest rate, while pneumothoraces and bleeding were most frequent. Most complications can be detected clinically or peri-interventionally. To reduce the radiation dose, postinterventional CT controls should not be performed routinely and should be restricted to complicated or retroperitoneal interventions only.

Preoperative chest computed tomographic (CT) scans in 84 patients with biopsy-proven non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma were reviewed. At least one adrenal gland was visualized in 70 of these. Evidence of a solid adrenal mass was present in 18 (14.5%) glands in 15 (21.4%) patients. Percutaneous needle aspiration under CT guidance confirmed metastatic malignancy in the four patients who were biopsied. Because the documented presence of adrenal metastases in non-small cell lung cancer makes surgical resection or local irradiation inappropriate, it is recommended that both adrenal glands in their entirety be specifically included whenever a staging chest CT examination is performed in patients with such tumors. Percutaneous needle biopsy for pathologic confirmation of the nature of solid adrenal masses discovered in this process is also useful.

The intensity of the scattered light from the Presage dosimeters was measured using a Thorlabs PM100D optical power meter (Thorlabs Inc, Newton, NJ) with an optical sensor of 1 mm diameter sensitive area. Five Presage dosimeters were made as cylinders of 15.2 cm, 10 cm, 4 cm diameters and irradiated with 6 MV photons using a Varian Clinac 2100EX. Each dosimeter was put into the scanning tank of an OCTOPUS" optical CT scanner (MGS Research Inc, Madison, CT) filled with a refractive index matching liquid. A laser diode was positioned at one side of the water tank to generate a stationary laser beam of 0.8 mm width. On the other side of the tank, an in-house manufactured positioning system was used to move the optical sensor in the direction perpendicular to the outgoing laser beam from the dosimeters at an increment of 1 mm. The amount of scattered photons was found to be more than 1% of the primary light signal within 2 mm from the laser beam but decreases sharply with increasing off-axis distance. The intensity of the scattered light increases with increasing light attenuations and/or absorptions in the dosimeters. The scattered light at the same off-axis distance was weaker for dosimeters of larger diameters and for larger detector-to-dosimeter distances. Methods for minimizing the effect of the light scattering in different types of optical CT scanners are discussed.

Humeral head retroversion is not well described with the literature controversial regarding accuracy of measurement methods and ranges of normal values. We therefore determined normal humeral head retroversion and assessed the measurement methods. We measured retroversion in 65 cadaveric humeri, including 52 paired specimens, using four methods: radiographic, computed tomography (CT) scan, computer-assisted, and direct methods. We also assessed the distance between the humeral head central axis and the bicipital groove. CTscan methods accurately measure humeral head retroversion, while radiographic methods do not. The retroversion with respect to the transepicondylar axis was 17.9° and 21.5° with respect to the trochlear tangent axis. The difference between the right and left humeri was 8.9°. The distance between the central axis of the humeral head and the bicipital groove was 7.0 mm and was consistent between right and left humeri. Humeral head retroversion may be most accurately obtained using the patient’s own anatomic landmarks or, if not, identifiable retroversion as measured by those landmarks on contralateral side or the bicipital groove. PMID:18264854

CTscans of the specimens on STS-79 reveal internal cone-shaped features and radial patterns not seen in specimens processed on the ground. The lighter areas are the densest in these images. CTscans produced richly detailed images allowing scientists to build 3D models of the interior of the specimens that can be compared with microscopic examination of thin slices. This view is made from three orthogonal slices. Sand and soil grains have faces that can cause friction as they roll and slide against each other, or even cause sticking and form small voids between grains. This complex behavior can cause soil to behave like a liquid under certain conditions such as earthquakes or when powders are handled in industrial processes. Mechanics of Granular Materials (MGM) experiments aboard the Space Shuttle use the microgravity of space to simulate this behavior under conditions that carnot be achieved in laboratory tests on Earth. MGM is shedding light on the behavior of fine-grain materials under low effective stresses. Applications include earthquake engineering, granular flow technologies (such as powder feed systems for pharmaceuticals and fertilizers), and terrestrial and planetary geology. Nine MGM specimens have flown on two Space Shuttle flights. Another three are scheduled to fly on STS-107. The principal investigator is Stein Sture of the University of Colorado at Boulder. (Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of Colorado at Boulder).

CTscans of the spcimens on STS-79 reveal internal cone-shaped features and radial patterns not seen in specimens processed on the ground. The lighter areas are the densest in these images. CTscans produced richly detailed images allowing scientists to build 3D models of the interior of the specimens that can be compared with microscopic examination of thin slices. These views depict vertical slices from side to middle of a flight specimen. Sand and soil grains have faces that can cause friction as they roll and slide against each other, or even cause sticking and form small voids between grains. This complex behavior can cause soil to behave like a liquid under certain conditions such as earthquakes or when powders are handled in industrial processes. Mechanics of Granular Materials (MGM) experiments aboard the Space Shuttle use the microgravity of space to simulate this behavior under conditions that carnot be achieved in laboratory tests on Earth. MGM is shedding light on the behavior of fine-grain materials under low effective stresses. Applications include earthquake engineering, granular flow technologies (such as powder feed systems for pharmaceuticals and fertilizers), and terrestrial and planetary geology. Nine MGM specimens have flown on two Space Shuttle flights. Another three are scheduled to fly on STS-107. The principal investigator is Stein Sture of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

CTscans of the spcimens on STS-79 reveal internal cone-shaped features and radial patterns not seen in specimens processed on the ground. The lighter areas are the densest in these images. CTscans produced richly detailed images allowing scientists to build 3D models of the interior of the specimens that can be compared with microscopic examination of thin slices. This view is made from a series of horizontal slices. Sand and soil grains have faces that can cause friction as they roll and slide against each other, or even cause sticking and form small voids between grains. This complex behavior can cause soil to behave like a liquid under certain conditions such as earthquakes or when powders are handled in industrial processes. Mechanics of Granular Materials (MGM) experiments aboard the Space Shuttle use the microgravity of space to simulate this behavior under conditions that carnot be achieved in laboratory tests on Earth. MGM is shedding light on the behavior of fine-grain materials under low effective stresses. Applications include earthquake engineering, granular flow technologies (such as powder feed systems for pharmaceuticals and fertilizers), and terrestrial and planetary geology. Nine MGM specimens have flown on two Space Shuttle flights. Another three are scheduled to fly on STS-107. The principal investigator is Stein Sture of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

CTscans of the spcimens on STS-79 reveal internal cone-shaped features and radial patterns not seen in specimens processed on the ground. The lighter areas are the densest in these images. CTscans produced richly detailed images allowing scientists to build 3D models of the interior of the specimens that can be compared with microscopic examination of thin slices. This view depict horizontal slices from top to bottom of a flight specimen. Sand and soil grains have faces that can cause friction as they roll and slide against each other, or even cause sticking and form small voids between grains. This complex behavior can cause soil to behave like a liquid under certain conditions such as earthquakes or when powders are handled in industrial processes. Mechanics of Granular Materials (MGM) experiments aboard the Space Shuttle use the microgravity of space to simulate this behavior under conditions that carnot be achieved in laboratory tests on Earth. MGM is shedding light on the behavior of fine-grain materials under low effective stresses. Applications include earthquake engineering, granular flow technologies (such as powder feed systems for pharmaceuticals and fertilizers), and terrestrial and planetary geology. Nine MGM specimens have flown on two Space Shuttle flights. Another three are scheduled to fly on STS-107. The principal investigator is Stein Sture of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

This paper explores the potential of flat panel detectors in sub-second CTscanning applications. Using a PaxScan 4030CB with 600um thick CsI(Tl), a central section of the panel (16 to 32 rows), was scanned at frame rates up to 1000fps. Using this platform, fundamental issues related to high speed scanning were characterized. The offset drift of the imager over 60 seconds was found to be less than 0.014 ppm/sec relative to full scale. The gain stability over a 10 hour period is better than +/- .45%, which is at the resolution limit of the measurement. Two different types of lag measurements were performed in order to separate the photodiode array lag from the CsI afterglow. The panel lag was found to be 0.41% 1st frame and 0.054% 25th frame at 1000fps. The CsI(Tl) afterglow, however, is roughly an order of magnitude higher, dominating the lag for sub-second scans. At 1000fps the 1st frame lag due to afterglow was 3.3% and the 25th frame lag was 0.34%. Both the lag and afterglow are independent of signal level and each follows a simple power law evolution versus time. Reconstructions of anatomical phantoms and the CATPHAN 500 phantom are presented. With a 2 second, 1200 projection scan of the CATPHAN phantom at 600fps in 32 slice mode, using 120kVp and CTDI100 of 43.2mGy, 0.3% contrast resolution for a 6mm diameter target, can be visualized. In addition, 15lp/cm spatial resolution was achieved with a 2mm slice and a central CTDI100 of 10.8mGy.

The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal tube current setting and scanning mode for hominid fossil skull scanning, using multi-detector row computed tomography (CT). Four fossil skulls (La Ferrassie 1, Abri Pataud 1, CroMagnon 2 and Cro-Magnon 3) were examined by using the CT scanner LightSpeed 16 (General Electric Medical Systems) with varying dose per section (160, 250, and 300 mAs) and scanning mode (helical and conventional). Image quality of two-dimensional (2D) multiplanar reconstructions, three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions and native images was assessed by four reviewers using a four-point grading scale. An ANOVA (analysis of variance) model was used to compare the mean score for each sequence and the overall mean score according to the levels of the scanning parameters. Compared with helical CT (mean score=12.03), the conventional technique showed sustained poor image quality (mean score=4.17). With the helical mode, we observed a better image quality at 300 mAs than at 160 in the 3D sequences (P=0.03). Whereas in native images, a reduction in the effective tube current induced no degradation in image quality (P=0.05). Our study suggests a standardized protocol for fossil scanning with a 16 x 0.625 detector configuration, a 10 mm beam collimation, a 0.562:1 acquisition mode, a 0.625/0.4 mm slice thickness/reconstruction interval, a pitch of 5.62, 120 kV and 300 mAs especially when a 3D study is required.

This study assessed ways of reducing the patient dose by examining the dependence of the patient dose on the CT (computed tomography) dose in a SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography)/CTscan. To measure the patient dose, we used Precedence 16 SPECT/CT along with a phantom for the CT dose measurement (CT dose phantom kit for adult's head and body, Model 76-414-4150), a 100-mm ionization chamber (CT Ion Chamber) and an X-ray detector (Victoreen Model 4000M+). In addition, the patient dose was evaluated under conditions similar to those for an actual examination using an ImPACT (imaging performance assessment of CT scanners) dosimetry calculator in the Monte Carlo simulation method. The experimental method involved the use of a CT dose phantom to measure the patient dose under different CT conditions (kVp and mAs) to determine the CTDI (CT dose index) under each condition. An ImPACT dosimetry calculator was also used to measure CTDIw (CT dose index water ), CTDIv (CT dose index volume ), DLP (dose-length product), and effective dose. According to the patient dose measurements using the CT dose phantom, the CTDI showed an approximately 54 fold difference between when the maximum (140 kVp and 250 mAs) and the minimum dose (90 kVp and 25 mAs) was used. The CTDI showed a 4.2 fold difference between the conditions (120 kVp and 200 mAs) used mainly in a common CTscan and the conditions (120 kVp and 50 mAs) used mainly in a SPECT/CTscan. According to the measurement results using the dosimetry calculator, the effective dose showed an approximately 35 fold difference between the conditions for the maximum and the minimum doses, as in the case with the CT dose phantom. The effective dose showed a 4.1 fold difference between the conditions used mainly in a common CTscan and those used mainly in a SPECT/CTscan. This study examined the patient dose by reducing the CT dose in a SPECT/CTscan. As various examinations can be conducted due to the development of

Early detection of skull base invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is crucial for correct staging, assessing treatment response and contouring the tumor target in radiotherapy planning, as well as improving the patient's prognosis. To compare the diagnostic efficacy of single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) for the detection of skull base invasion in NPC. Sixty untreated patients with histologically proven NPC underwent SPECT/CT imaging, contrast-enhanced MRI and CT. Of the 60 patients, 30 had skull base invasion confirmed by the final results of contrast-enhanced MRI, CT and six-month follow-up imaging (MRI and CT). The diagnostic efficacy of the three imaging modalities in detecting skull base invasion was evaluated. The rates of positive findings of skull base invasion for SPECT/CT, MRI and CT were 53.3%, 48.3% and 33.3%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 93.3%, 86.7% and 90.0% for SPECT/CT fusion imaging, 96.7%, 100.0% and 98.3% for contrast-enhanced MRI, and 66.7%, 100.0% and 83.3% for contrast-enhanced CT. MRI showed the best performance for the diagnosis of skull base invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, followed closely by SPECT/CT. SPECT/CT had poorer specificity than that of both MRI and CT, while CT had the lowest sensitivity.

In this article, a cone-beam CTscanning mode is designed assuming four x-ray sources and a spherical sample. The x-ray sources are mounted at the vertices of a regular tetrahedron. On the circumsphere of the tetrahedron, four detection panels are mounted opposite to each vertex. To avoid x-ray interference, the largest half angle of each x-ray cone beam is 27°22', while the radius of the largest ball fully covered by all the cone beams is 0.460, when the radius of the circumsphere is 1. Several scanning schemes are proposed which consist of two rotations about orthogonal axes, such that each quarter turn provides sufficient data for theoretically exact and stable reconstruction. This design can be used in biomedical or industrial settings, such as when a sequence of reconstructions of an object is desired. Similar scanning schemes based on other regular or irregular polyhedra and various rotation speeds are also discussed.

The x-ray attenuation values of brain studied with computed tomography (CT) are strikingly affected by the ages of the subjects. Premature neonates, for example, may have brain attenuation values 20-30 H below adult values. These lower attenuation values for developing compared with adult brain can be ascribed partly to machine-related effects (beam-hardening, adult algorithms, scanning geometry, etc.). A scanning phantom made from aluminum was developed that can be used to develop a nomogram for any particular scanner from which normalized brain attenuation may be derived for any small head size. Using this nomogram, predicted neonatal attenuations are still 10-15 H higher than those actually observed in scanning neonates. The model predicts that, at the most, 3-4 H of this discrepancy can be accounted for by less beam-hardening from the lower bone attenuation of the thinner developing skull. Presumably, the rest is from a lower brain density in neonates (higher water content). By normalizing to cerebrospinal fluid (water) with special care to avoid partial-volume artifacts, one can predict attenuation values for developing brain more accurately.

The capacity to explore soft tissue structures in detail is important in understanding animal physiology and how this determines features such as movement, behaviour and the impact of trauma on regular function. Here we use advances in micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) technology to explore the brain of an important insect pollinator and model organism, the bumblebee (Bombus terrestris). Here we present a method for accurate imaging and exploration of insect brains that keeps brain tissue free from trauma and in its natural stereo-geometry, and showcase our 3D reconstructions and analyses of 19 individual brains at high resolution. Development of this protocol allows relatively rapid and cost effective brain reconstructions, making it an accessible methodology to the wider scientific community. The protocol describes the necessary steps for sample preparation, tissue staining, micro-CTscanning and 3D reconstruction, followed by a method for image analysis using the freeware SPIERS. These image analysis methods describe how to virtually extract key composite structures from the insect brain, and we demonstrate the application and precision of this method by calculating structural volumes and investigating the allometric relationships between bumblebee brain structures. PMID:26908205

The capacity to explore soft tissue structures in detail is important in understanding animal physiology and how this determines features such as movement, behaviour and the impact of trauma on regular function. Here we use advances in micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) technology to explore the brain of an important insect pollinator and model organism, the bumblebee (Bombus terrestris). Here we present a method for accurate imaging and exploration of insect brains that keeps brain tissue free from trauma and in its natural stereo-geometry, and showcase our 3D reconstructions and analyses of 19 individual brains at high resolution. Development of this protocol allows relatively rapid and cost effective brain reconstructions, making it an accessible methodology to the wider scientific community. The protocol describes the necessary steps for sample preparation, tissue staining, micro-CTscanning and 3D reconstruction, followed by a method for image analysis using the freeware SPIERS. These image analysis methods describe how to virtually extract key composite structures from the insect brain, and we demonstrate the application and precision of this method by calculating structural volumes and investigating the allometric relationships between bumblebee brain structures.

Children and young adults scanned multiple times by computed tomography (CT), a commonly used diagnostic tool, have a small increased risk of leukemia and brain tumors in the decade following their first scan.

Background Screening for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is recommended to detect primary and metastatic tumors, which can result in significant morbidity and mortality. The utility of somatostatin receptor imaging 68Gallium-DOTATATE PET/CT in patients with MEN1 is not known. The aim of this study was to prospectively determine the accuracy of 68Gallium-DOTATATE PET/CT versus 111In-pentetreotide SPECT/CT and anatomic imaging in patients with MEN1. Study design Prospective study comparing 68Gallium-DOTATATE PET/CT, 111In-pentetreotide SPECT/CT, and triphasic CTscan to clinical, biochemical and pathological data in 26 patients with MEN1. Results 68Gallium-DOTATATE PET/CT detected 107 lesions; 111In- pentetreotide SPECT/CT detected 33 lesions; and CTscan detected 48 lesions. Lesions detected on 68Gallium-DOTATATE PET/CT had high SUVmax (median SUVmax = 72.8 [range 19–191]). In 7 of the 26 patients (27%), 68Gallium-DOTATATE PET/CT was positive with a negative 111In-pentetreotide SPECT/CT, and in 10 patients (38.5%), additional metastases were detected (range 0.3 cm to 1.5 cm). In 8 of the 26 patients (31%), there was a change in management recommendations as a result of the findings on 68Gallium-DOTATATE PET/CT that were not seen on 111In- pentetreotide SPECT/CT and CTscan. Conclusions 68Gallium-DOTATATE PET/CT is more sensitive for detecting NETs than 111In-pentetreotide SPECT/CT and CTscan in patients with MEN1. This imaging technique should be integrated into radiologic screening and surveillance of patients with MEN1, as it can significantly alter management recommendations. PMID:26206648

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between iodine concentration (IC) for the quantitative analysis of spectral CT and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 18 fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography–CT (18FDG PET–CT) as an indicator of therapeutic response to interstitial brachytherapy in transplanted human pancreatic carcinomas in BALB/c-nu mice. Methods: Xenograft models were created by subcutaneous injection of SW1990 human pancreatic cancer cell suspensions into immunodeficient BALB/c-nu mice. 30 mice bearing SW1990 human pancreatic cancer cell xenografts were randomly separated into two groups: experimental (n = 15; 1.0 mCi) and control (n = 15, 0 mCi). After 2 weeks of treatment, spectral CT and 18FDG micro-PET–CTscan were performed. IC values and SUVmax in the lesions were measured. IC normalized to the muscle tissue is indicated as nIC. The relationships between the nIC and SUVmax of the transplantation tumours were analysed. Results: 2 weeks after treatment, the nIC in three-phase scans and SUVmax of the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group. The nIC values of the three-phase scans have certain positive correlation with the SUVmax values (r = 0.69, p CT could serve as a valuable imaging modality, as our results suggest that nIC correlates with SUVmax of 18FDG PET–CT for evaluating the therapeutic effect of 125I interstitial brachytherapy in a pancreatic carcinoma xenograft. Advances in knowledge: Spectral CT offers opportunities to assess the therapeutic response of pancreatic cancer. This study supports the conclusion that nIC values in spectral CT could also serve as a valuable functional imaging parameter for early monitoring and evaluation of the therapeutic response of 125I interstitial brachytherapy mouse models

We present a fully automated three-dimensional (3-D) segmentation algorithm to extract the colon lumen surface in CT colonography. Focusing on significant-size polyp detection, we target at an efficient algorithm that maximizes overall colon coverage, minimizes the extracolonic components, maintains local shape accuracy, and achieves high segmentation speed. Two-dimensional (2-D) image processing techniques are employed first, resulting in automatic seed placement and better colon coverage. This is followed by near-air threshold 3-D region-growing using an improved marching-cubes algorithm, which provides fast and accurate surface generation. The algorithm constructs a well-organized vertex-triangle structure that uniquely employs a hash table method, yielding an order of magnitude speed improvement. We segment two scans, prone and supine, independently and with the goal of improved colon coverage. Both segmentations would be available for subsequent polyp detection systems. Segmenting and analyzing both scans improves surface coverage by at least 6% over supine or prone alone. According to subjective evaluation, the average coverage is about 87.5% of the entire colon. Employing near-air threshold and elongation criteria, only 6% of the data sets include extracolonic components (EC) in the segmentation. The observed surface shape accuracy of the segmentation is adequate for significant-size (6 mm) polyp detection, which is also verified by the results of the prototype detection algorithm. The segmentation takes less than 5 minutes on an AMD 1-GHz single-processor PC, which includes reading the volume data and writing the surface results. The surface-based segmentation algorithm is practical for subsequent polyp detection algorithms in that it produces high coverage, has a low EC rate, maintains local shape accuracy, and has a computational efficiency that makes real-time polyp detection possible. A fully automatic or computer-aided polyp detection system using this

We have been investigating diagnostic knowledge models which assist in the automatic classification of medical images by combining information extracted from each image with knowledge specific to that class of images. In a more general sense we are trying to integrate verbal and pictorial descriptions of disease via representations of knowledge, study automatic hypothesis generation as related to clinical medicine, evolve new mathematical image measures while integrating them into the total diagnostic process, and investigate ways to augment the knowledge of the physician. Specifically, we have constructed an artificial intelligence knowledge model using the technique of a production system blending pictorial and verbal knowledge about the respective CTscan and patient history. It is an attempt to tie together different sources of knowledge representation, picture feature extraction and hypothesis generation. Our knowledge reasoning and representation system (KRRS) works with data at the conscious reasoning level of the practicing physician while at the visual perceptional level we are building another production system, the picture parameter extractor (PPE). This paper describes KRRS and its relationship to PPE.

This cross sectional study was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology in Mymensingh Medical College Hospital during the period of January 2011 to December 2012 to evaluate neurological manifestations in eclampsia by CTscan of brain. A total 35 patients with eclampsia were studied, who underwent CTscan of brain in Radiology & Imaging Department of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. The study patients were divided into two groups, those who had changes in brain on CTscan (Group A) & those who had no changes in brain on CTscan (Group B). Finally the study variables were compared between these two groups. Each selected patient fulfilling the criteria was sent to the department of Radiology & Imaging for CTscanning of brain. In antepartum cases of eclampsia CTscan of brain were done after delivery/ termination of pregnancy. In all cases, CTscan of brain was done within 72 hours of admission. Out of 35 patients total 85.72% had changes in brain on CTscan & 14.28% had no changes in brain on CTscan. Among them 45.72% patients had cerebral oedema, 37.14% had cerebral infarct & 2.86% patients had intracerebral haemorrhage. Comparison of neurological parameters were done & showed that there were statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding headache, visual disturbance, hypereflexia & depression of consciousness. There was no statistically significant difference regarding aphasia & hemiplegia between the two groups. So the CTscan of brain has been useful in demonstrating the lesion of brain in patients with eclampsia & also helpful to evaluate the neurological manifestations in eclampsia.

Low-dose X-ray computed tomography (CT) simulation from high-dose scan is required in optimizing radiation dose to patients. In this study, we propose a simple low-dose CT simulation strategy in sinogram domain using the raw data from high-dose scan. Specially, a relationship between the incident fluxes of low- and high- dose scans is first determined according to the repeated projection measurements and analysis. Second, the incident flux level of the simulated low-dose scan is generated by properly scaling the incident flux level of high-dose scan via the determined relationship in the first step. Third, the low-dose CT transmission data by energy integrating detection is simulated by adding a statistically independent Poisson noise distribution plus a statistically independent Gaussian noise distribution. Finally, a filtered back-projection (FBP) algorithm is implemented to reconstruct the resultant low-dose CT images. The present low-dose simulation strategy is verified on the simulations and real scans by comparing it with the existing low-dose CT simulation tool. Experimental results demonstrated that the present low-dose CT simulation strategy can generate accurate low-dose CT sinogram data from high-dose scan in terms of qualitative and quantitative measurements.

Gallium is antiproliferative to many types of cancer, due primarily to its ability to act as a non-functional mimic of ferric iron (Fe(3+)). Because Fe(3+) is needed for ribonucleotide reductase activity--and thus DNA synthesis--gallium can inhibit DNA production and cell division. Diagnostic gallium scans have shown that hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is commonly avid for gallium. Furthermore, in vitro studies have found that gallium nitrate, and particularly gallium maltolate (GaM), have dose-dependent antiproliferative activity against HCC cell lines. Rationale thus exists to use GaM, an orally active compound that has been well tolerated in Phase I clinical trials, to treat patients whose HCC is gallium-avid in a gallium scan. Because gallium absorbed from orally administered GaM is bound predominately to serum transferrin, which travels to all tissues in the body, GaM has the potential to treat even distant metastases. A patient with advanced HCC (20 × 10 cm primary tumor, ascites around liver and spleen, resistant to Nexavar(®) (sorafenib)), whose cancer was highly gallium-avid in a (67)Ga-scan, was treated with oral gallium maltolate at 1500 mg/day q.d. After four weeks of treatment, the patient had a large reduction in pain, with greatly increased mobility and quality of life, and significantly lowered serum bilirubin and inflammation-related liver enzymes. At eight weeks, CTscans showed apparent necrosis of the tumor.

In the radiology department of the Mexican National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, a dedicated institute in Mexico City, on average 19.3 computed tomography (CT) examinations are performed daily on hospitalized patients for neurological disease diagnosis, control scans and follow-up imaging. The purpose of this work was to estimate the effective dose received by hospitalized patients who underwent a diagnostic CTscan using typical effective dose values for all CT types and to obtain the estimated effective dose distributions received by surgical and non-surgical patients. Effective patient doses were estimated from values per study type reported in the applications guide provided by the scanner manufacturer. This retrospective study included all hospitalized patients who underwent a diagnostic CTscan between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2012. A total of 8777 CTscans were performed in this two-year period. Simple brain scan was the CT type performed the most (74.3%) followed by contrasted brain scan (6.1%) and head angiotomography (5.7%). The average number of CTscans per patient was 2.83; the average effective dose per patient was 7.9 mSv; the mean estimated radiation dose was significantly higher for surgical (9.1 mSv) than non-surgical patients (6.0 mSv). Three percent of the patients had 10 or more brain CTscans and exceeded the organ radiation dose threshold set by the International Commission on Radiological Protection for deterministic effects of the eye-lens. Although radiation patient doses from CTscans were in general relatively low, 187 patients received a high effective dose (>20 mSv) and 3% might develop cataract from cumulative doses to the eye lens.

In the radiology department of the Mexican National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, a dedicated institute in Mexico City, on average 19.3 computed tomography (CT) examinations are performed daily on hospitalized patients for neurological disease diagnosis, control scans and follow-up imaging. The purpose of this work was to estimate the effective dose received by hospitalized patients who underwent a diagnostic CTscan using typical effective dose values for all CT types and to obtain the estimated effective dose distributions received by surgical and non-surgical patients. Effective patient doses were estimated from values per study type reported in the applications guide provided by the scanner manufacturer. This retrospective study included all hospitalized patients who underwent a diagnostic CTscan between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2012. A total of 8777 CTscans were performed in this two-year period. Simple brain scan was the CT type performed the most (74.3%) followed by contrasted brain scan (6.1%) and head angiotomography (5.7%). The average number of CTscans per patient was 2.83; the average effective dose per patient was 7.9 mSv; the mean estimated radiation dose was significantly higher for surgical (9.1 mSv) than non-surgical patients (6.0 mSv). Three percent of the patients had 10 or more brain CTscans and exceeded the organ radiation dose threshold set by the International Commission on Radiological Protection for deterministic effects of the eye-lens. Although radiation patient doses from CTscans were in general relatively low, 187 patients received a high effective dose (>20 mSv) and 3% might develop cataract from cumulative doses to the eye lens.

From its first test scan on a mouse, in 1967, to current medical practice, the CT scanner has become a core imaging tool in thoracic diagnosis. Initially financed by money from Beatles' record sales, the first patient scan was performed in 1971. Only 8 years later, a Nobel Prize in Physics and Medicine was awarded to Hounsfield and Cormack for their discovery. This article traces the history of CT scanner development and how each technical advance expanded chest diagnostic frontiers. Chest imaging now accounts for 30% of all CTscanning.

A 55-year-old man was a hepatocellular carcinoma patient, diagnosed by sonography and a biopsy. Because of his musculoskeletal tenderness, a bone scan was performed to exclude skeletal metastasis. A subsequent F-FDG PET/CTscan revealed that the unilateral abnormal uptake seen on the bone scan was actually a mineralized tendon. A mineralized tendon is easily detectable using Tc-MDP; therefore, it is imperative to differentiate between bone lesions and mineralized tendons. In addition, few studies have reported F-FDG uptake in a calcified tendon.

Purpose: Traditionally, 2D radiographic preparatory scan images (scout scans) are used to plan diagnostic CTscans. However, a 3D CT volume with a full 3D organ segmentation map could provide superior information for customized scan planning and other purposes. A practical challenge is to design the volumetric scout acquisition and processing steps to provide good image quality (at least good enough to enable 3D organ segmentation) while delivering a radiation dose similar to that of the conventional 2D scout. Methods: The authors explored various acquisition methods, scan parameters, postprocessing methods, and reconstruction methods through simulation and cadaver data studies to achieve an ultralow dose 3D scout while simultaneously reducing the noise and maintaining the edge strength around the target organ. Results: In a simulation study, the 3D scout with the proposed acquisition, preprocessing, and reconstruction strategy provided a similar level of organ segmentation capability as a traditional 240 mAs diagnostic scan, based on noise and normalized edge strength metrics. At the same time, the proposed approach delivers only 1.25% of the dose of a traditional scan. In a cadaver study, the authors’ pictorial-structures based organ localization algorithm successfully located the major abdominal-thoracic organs from the ultralow dose 3D scout obtained with the proposed strategy. Conclusions: The authors demonstrated that images with a similar degree of segmentation capability (interpretability) as conventional dose CTscans can be achieved with an ultralow dose 3D scout acquisition and suitable postprocessing. Furthermore, the authors applied these techniques to real cadaver CTscans with a CTDI dose level of less than 0.1 mGy and successfully generated a 3D organ localization map.

Knowledge of the composition of urinary stones is an essential part to determine suitable treatments for patients. The aim of this research is to characterize the urinary stones by using dual energy micro CT SkyScan 11173. This technique combines high-energy and low- energy scanning during a single acquisition. Six human urinary stones were scanned in vitro using 80 kV and 120 kV micro CT SkyScan 1173. Projected images were produced by micro CT SkyScan 1173 and then reconstructed using NRecon (in-house software from SkyScan) to obtain a complete 3D image. The urinary stone images were analysed using CT analyser to obtain information of internal structure and Hounsfield Unit (HU) values to determine the information regarding the composition of the urinary stones, respectively. HU values obtained from some regions of interest in the same slice are compared to a reference HU. The analysis shows information of the composition of the six scanned stones obtained. The six stones consist of stone number 1 (calcium+cystine), number 2 (calcium+struvite), number 3 (calcium+cystine+struvite), number 4 (calcium), number 5 (calcium+cystine+struvite), and number 6 (calcium+uric acid). This shows that dual energy micro CT SkyScan 1173 was able to characterize the composition of the urinary stone.

Excess risk of leukemia and brain tumors after CTscans in children has been reported. We performed dicentric chromosome assay (DCAs) before and after CTscan to assess effects of low-dose ionizing radiation on chromosomes. Peripheral blood (PB) lymphocytes were collected from 10 patients before and after a CTscan. DCA was performed by analyzing either 1,000 or 2,000 metaphases using both Giemsa staining and centromere-fluorescence in situ hybridization (Centromere-FISH). The increment of DIC formation was compared with effective radiation dose calculated using the computational dosimetry system, WAZA-ARI and dose length product (DLP) in a CTscan. Dicentric chromosome (DIC) formation increased significantly after a single CTscan, and increased DIC formation was found in all patients. A good correlation between the increment of DIC formation determined by analysis of 2,000 metaphases using Giemsa staining and those by 2,000 metaphases using Centromere-FISH was observed. However, no correlation was observed between the increment of DIC formation and the effective radiation dose. Therefore, these results suggest that chromosome cleavage may be induced by one CTscan, and we recommend 2,000 or more metaphases be analyzed in Giemsa staining or Centromere-FISH for DCAs in cases of low-dose radiation exposure.

Conventional dual-energy CT (DECT) reconstruction requires two full-size projection datasets with two different energy spectra. In this study, we propose an iterative algorithm to enable a new data acquisition scheme which requires one full scan and a second sparse-view scan for potential reduction in imaging dose and engineering cost of DECT. A bilateral filter is calculated as a similarity matrix from the first full-scanCT image to quantify the similarity between any two pixels, which is assumed unchanged on a second CT image since DECT scans are performed on the same object. The second CT image from reduced projections is reconstructed by an iterative algorithm which updates the image by minimizing the total variation of the difference between the image and its filtered image by the similarity matrix under data fidelity constraint. As the redundant structural information of the two CT images is contained in the similarity matrix for CT reconstruction, we refer to the algorithm as structure preserving iterative reconstruction (SPIR). The proposed method is evaluated on both digital and physical phantoms, and is compared with the filtered-backprojection (FBP) method, the conventional total-variation-regularization-based algorithm (TVR) and prior-image-constrained-compressed-sensing (PICCS). SPIR with a second 10-view scan reduces the image noise STD by a factor of one order of magnitude with same spatial resolution as full-view FBP image. SPIR substantially improves over TVR on the reconstruction accuracy of a 10-view scan by decreasing the reconstruction error from 6.18% to 1.33%, and outperforms TVR at 50 and 20-view scans on spatial resolution with a higher frequency at the modulation transfer function value of 10% by an average factor of 4. Compared with the 20-view scan PICCS result, the SPIR image has 7 times lower noise STD with similar spatial resolution. The electron density map obtained from the SPIR-based DECT images with a second 10-view scan has an

Conventional dual-energy CT (DECT) reconstruction requires two full-size projection datasets with two different energy spectra. In this study, we propose an iterative algorithm to enable a new data acquisition scheme which requires one full scan and a second sparse-view scan for potential reduction in imaging dose and engineering cost of DECT. A bilateral filter is calculated as a similarity matrix from the first full-scanCT image to quantify the similarity between any two pixels, which is assumed unchanged on a second CT image since DECT scans are performed on the same object. The second CT image from reduced projections is reconstructed by an iterative algorithm which updates the image by minimizing the total variation of the difference between the image and its filtered image by the similarity matrix under data fidelity constraint. As the redundant structural information of the two CT images is contained in the similarity matrix for CT reconstruction, we refer to the algorithm as structure preserving iterative reconstruction (SPIR). The proposed method is evaluated on both digital and physical phantoms, and is compared with the filtered-backprojection (FBP) method, the conventional total-variation-regularization-based algorithm (TVR) and prior-image-constrained-compressed-sensing (PICCS). SPIR with a second 10-view scan reduces the image noise STD by a factor of one order of magnitude with same spatial resolution as full-view FBP image. SPIR substantially improves over TVR on the reconstruction accuracy of a 10-view scan by decreasing the reconstruction error from 6.18% to 1.33%, and outperforms TVR at 50 and 20-view scans on spatial resolution with a higher frequency at the modulation transfer function value of 10% by an average factor of 4. Compared with the 20-view scan PICCS result, the SPIR image has 7 times lower noise STD with similar spatial resolution. The electron density map obtained from the SPIR-based DECT images with a second 10-view scan has an

To determine the role of brain CT in neurologically asymptomatic lung cancer patients a review was made of the CT and clinical findings in 279 patients. Brain metastases were found in 94.5% of patients with specific abnormal neurological findings, 26.6% of patients with vague neurological signs and symptoms, 11% of patients with oat cell carcinoma and a normal neurological examination, and 40% of patients with adenocarcinoma and a normal neurological examination. Brain metastasis was not seen on CT in the 29 patients with squamous cell carcinoma and a normal neurological examination. It is concluded that brain CT is useful for the detection of occult brain metastases, particularly oat cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, in neurologically asymptomatic lung cancer patients.

Symptomatic intestinal malrotation first presenting in the adults is rare. Midgut volvulus is the most common complication of malrotation in the adults. Because of more differential diagnosis, Computed Tomography (CT) scan can play an important role in the evaluation of patients with this abnormality. The whirl pattern around the superior mesenteric artery found on CTscan in patients with midgut volvulus is pathognomonic and diagnostic. We describe a case of intestinal malrotation complicated by midgut volvulus in an adult patient. The preoperative CT findings were pathognomonic. PMID:28182093

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is an imaging system which has advantages over computed tomography (CT). Recently, CBCT has become widely used for oral and maxillofacial imaging. In CTscan, Hounsfield Unit (HU) is proportional to the degree of x-ray attenuation by the tissue. In CBCT, the degree of x-ray attenuation is shown by gray scale (voxel value). The aim of the present (in vitro) study was to investigate the relationship between gray scale in CBCT and HU in CTscan. In this descriptive study, the anthropomorphic head phantom was scanned with CBCT and CT scanner. Gray scales and HUs were detected on images at the crown of the teeth, trabecular and cortical bone of mandible. The images were analyzed to obtain the gray scale value and HU value. The obtained value then used to investigate the relationship between CBCT gray scales and HUs. For the statistical analysis, t-test, Pearson's correlation and regression analysis were used. The differences between the gray scale of CBCT and HU of CT were statistically not significant, whereas the Pearson's correlation coefficients demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between gray scale of CBCT and HU of CT values. Considering the fact that gray scale in CBCT is important in pre assessment evaluation of bone density before implant treatments, it is recommended because of the lower dose and cost compared to CTscan.

Image fusion software enables technetium(99m)-methylene diphosphonate (Tc(99m)-MDP) bone scan images to be co-registered with CTscan or MRI, allowing greater anatomical discrimination. We examined the role of bone scan images co-registered with CTscan or MRI in the investigation of patients presenting with axial spinal pain and/or limb pain. One hundred and thirty-nine consecutive patients were examined, and thereafter investigated with CTscan, MRI, and/or dynamic plain films. At this point diagnosis (pathology type and anatomical site) and treatment intention were declared. The co-registered Tc(99m)-MDP bone scan images were then studied, after which diagnosis (pathology type and anatomical site) and treatment intention were re-declared. This data were then analysed to determine whether the addition of co-registered bone scan images resulted in any change in diagnosis or treatment intention. The most significant change in diagnosis was pathology type (10%). Anatomical site changed markedly without overlap of the pre and post-isotope fields in 5%, and with overlap in 10%. Treatment intention had a major change in 3.6% and minor change in 8.6%. In the two groups where there was (i) no obvious pathology after full pre-isotope investigation, or (ii) a spinal fusion under suspicion, addition of the bone scan information led to a major change in the pathology and/or anatomical localisation in 18% and 19%, respectively. The addition of co-registered Tc(99m)-MDP bone scan images offers significant diagnostic assistance, particularly in the difficult diagnostic groups where a failed spinal fusion may be the suspected pain generator, or when no pain generator can otherwise be found.

A collaborative effort between Washington University in St. Louis and Spencer Technologies in Seattle, WA has been undertaken to create a multimodal 3D reconstruction of the human cochlea and vestibular system. The goal of this project is to improve the accuracy of in vivo CT reconstructions of implanted cochleae, and to expand the knowledge of high-resolution anatomical detail provided by orthogonal-plane optical sectioning (OPFOS). At WUSL, computed tomography (CT) images of the cochlea are used to determine the position of cochlear implant electrodes relative to target auditory neurons. The cochlear implant position is determined using pre- and post-operative CTscans. The CT volumes are cross-registered to align the semicircular canals and internal auditory canal, which have a unique configuration in 3-D space. The head of a human body donor was scanned with a clinical CT device, after which the temporal bones were removed, fixed in formalin and trimmed prior to scanning with a laboratory Micro CT scanner. Following CT, the temporal bones were sent to the OPFOS Imaging Lab at Spencer Technologies for a further analysis. 3-D reconstructions of CT and OPFOS imaging modalities were compared, and results are presented. [Work supported by NIDCD Grants R44-03623-5 and R01-00581-13.

Background and aims. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is an imaging system which has many advantages over computed tomography (CT). In CTscan, Hounsfield Unit (HU) is proportional to the degree of x-ray attenuation by the tissue. In CBCT, the degree of x-ray attenuation is shown by gray scale (voxel value). The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between gray scale in CBCT) and Hounsfield Unit (HU) in CTscan. Materials and methods. In this descriptive study, the head of a sheep was scanned with 3 CBCT and one medical CT scanner. Gray scales and HUs were detected on images. Reconstructed data were analyzed to investigate relationship between CBCT gray scales and HUs. Results. A strong correlation between gray scales of CBCT and HUs of CTscan was determined. Conclusion. Considering the fact that gray scale in CBCT is the criteria in measurement of bone density before implant treatments, it is recommended because of the lower dose and cost compared to CTscan.

Although IMP scans fail to show fine anatomical details of the brain, because of poor resolution of a single head rotational system, adequate information is offered by the scans to localize most perfusion defects caused by stroke. The following conclusions can be drawn from our study: 1. The planar IMP brain scans processed through the computer are sensitive in the early diagnosis of acute stroke except for small and deeply localized lesions. 2. The SPECT IMP imaging is more sensitive than the planar or transmission CTscans in the early diagnosis of stroke. Semiquantitative evaluations are feasible with IMP SPECT. 3. Neither transmission CT nor IMP SPECT are sensitive in the detection of acute lacunar infarcts. 4. In acute infarction, the transmission CT is usually negative or minimally positive in the early stages, while impaired uptake of IMP occurs immediately after the onset of the stroke. In acute stroke, the extent of the perfusion defect on IMP is usually greater than the abnormality seen on the transmission CT. 5. On followup studies, IMP scans show improved perfusion reflecting physiologic changes, while transmission CTscans show further dense anatomical changes when compared to the initial studies. 6. Hyperemic changes are likely due to collateral circulation or luxury perfusion. This finding suggests that the IMP reflects local cerebral blood flow in strokes.

This study investigated the reproducibility of HRCT densitometric measures of emphysema in patients scanned twice one week apart. 24 emphysema patients from a multicenter study were scanned at full inspiration (TLC) and expiration (RV), then again a week later for four scans total. Scans for each patient used the same scanner and protocol, except for tube current in three patients. Lung segmentation with gross airway removal was performed on the scans. Volume, weight, mean lung density (MLD), relative area under -950HU (RA-950), and 15th percentile (PD-15) were calculated for TLC, and volume and an airtrapping mask (RA-air) between -950 and -850HU for RV. For each measure, absolute differences were computed for each scan pair, and linear regression was performed against volume difference in a subgroup with volume difference <500mL. Two TLC scan pairs were excluded due to segmentation failure. The mean lung volumes were 5802 +/- 1420mL for TLC, 3878 +/- 1077mL for RV. The mean absolute differences were 169mL for TLC volume, 316mL for RV volume, 14.5g for weight, 5.0HU for MLD, 0.66p.p. for RA-950, 2.4HU for PD-15, and 3.1p.p. for RA-air. The <500mL subgroup had 20 scan pairs for TLC and RV. The R2 values were 0.8 for weight, 0.60 for MLD, 0.29 for RA-950, 0.31 for PD-15, and 0.64 for RA-air. Our results indicate that considerable variability exists in densitometric measures over one week that cannot be attributed to breathhold or physiology. This has implications for clinical trials relying on these measures to assess emphysema treatment efficacy.

Due to the low contrast and the partial volume effects, providing an accurate and in vivo analysis for pulmonary vascular trees from low dose CTscans is a challenging task. This paper proposes an automatic integration segmentation approach for the vascular trees in low dose CTscans. It consists of the following steps: firstly, lung volumes are acquired by the knowledge based method from the CTscans, and then the data are smoothed by the 3D Gaussian filter; secondly, two or three seeds are gotten by the adaptive 2D segmentation and the maximum area selecting from different position scans; thirdly, each seed as the start voxel is inputted for a quick multi-seeds 3D region growing to get vascular trees; finally, the trees are refined by the smooth filter. Through skeleton analyzing for the vascular trees, the results show that the proposed method can provide much better and lower level vascular branches.

Computerized tomography scan (CTscan) imaging and finite element analysis were employed to investigate how the geometric composition of microneedles affects their mechanical strength and penetration characteristics. Simulations of microneedle arrays, comprising triangular, square and hexagonal microneedle base, revealed a linear dependence of the mechanical strength to the number of vertices in the polygon base. A laser-enabled, micromoulding technique was then used to fabricate 3×3 microneedle arrays, each individual microneedle having triangular, square or hexagonal base geometries. Their penetration characteristics into ex-vivo porcine skin, were investigated for the first time by CTscan imaging. This revealed greater penetration depths for the triangular and square-based microneedles, demonstrating CTscan as a powerful and reliable technique for studying microneedle skin penetration.

A prospective study involving 87 patients was carried out to evaluate the necessity for a high dose of contrast material in addition to delayed computed tomographic (CT) scanning for optimal detection of the lesions of multiple sclerosis in the brain. In patients with either clinically definite multiple sclerosis or laboratory-supported definite multiple sclerosis, CTscans were obtained with a uniform protocol. Lesions consistent with multiple sclerosis were demonstrated on the second scan in 54 patients. In 36 of these 54 patients, the high-dose delayed scan added information. These results are quite similar to those of a previous study from this institution using different patients, in whom the second scan was obtained immediately after the bolus injection of contrast material containing 40 g of organically bound iodine. The lack of real difference in the results of the two studies indicate that the increased dose, not just the delay in scanning, is necessary for a proper study.

VJT is developing techniques and scanning methods for the in-situ Radiographic and Computed Tomographic inspection of underground high-power feeder cables. The goals for the inspection are to measure the 3D state of the cables and the cable-connections. Recent in-situ Digital Radiographic inspections performed by VJT have demonstrated the value of NDE inspection information for buried power lines. These NDE data have raised further questions as to the exact state of the cables and connections and pointed to the need for more 3D information of the type provided by volumetric CTscanning. VJT is pursuing a three phased approach to address the many issues involved in this type of inspection: 1) develop a high-power feeder-cable test-bed CT scanner, 2) acquire scans on underground feeder pipes that have been removed from service, and 3) from the work in 1) and 2) develop limited-angle CTscanning methods for extending in-situ Digital Radiography to volumetric CT measurements. To this end, VJT has developed and fielded a high-energy test-bed Gantry-type CT scanner (the source and detector move around the object) with a number of important properties. First, the geometry of the gantry-scans can be configured to match the techniques used in the in-situ radiographic inspection. The same X-ray source is employed as in portable Radiographic inspections, a 7.5 MeV Betatron coupled to a Perkin-Elmer Amorphous Silicon detector. Offset-CTscanning is employed as the high-power feeder line assembly is larger than the detector. A description of this scanner and the scan geometry will be presented showing the connection to in-situ radiography. Results from the CTscans of high-power feeder-cable specimens removed from service will be presented with a focus on the inspection potential of volumetric CT data on these assemblies. An evaluation of the scan performance properties of these data compared to the spectrum of life-cycle inspection issues will be presented. Continuing and

Little is known about the role in ongoing risk stratification of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) performed early after radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). The aim of the study is to investigate whether 18F-FDG PET/CT performed early after RAI ablation is useful to detect disease and to influence therapy and ongoing risk stratification. Patients with high/intermediate risk of recurrent DTC were included. 18F-FDG PET/CTscan was performed within 6 months after RAI ablation. We confirmed results with other imaging techniques, pathology reports, or follow-up. We classified the patient response as excellent, acceptable, or incomplete. Modified Hicks criteria were used to evaluate clinical impact. We included 81 patients with high/intermediate risk of recurrent DTC. Forty-one (50.6%) had positive uptake in 18F-FDG PET/CT, with negative (131)I whole-body scan ((131)I WBS). Sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT were 92.5, 90.2, and 91.4%, respectively. 18F-FDG PET/CT results had an impact on therapy in 38.3% of patients. One year after initial therapy, 45.7% showed excellent response, 8.6% acceptable response, and 45.7% incomplete response. A statistically significant relationship was found between negative 18F-FDG PET/CT and excellent response (80 vs. 12.2%, p < 0.001; OR 52.8). 18F-FDG PET/CTscan performed early in surveillance of patients with high/intermediate-risk thyroid carcinoma provides important additional information not available with conventional follow-up methods and had a high impact on therapy. A negative 18F-FDG PET/CT predicts an excellent response to therapy in the new ongoing risk stratification.

In clinical computed tomography (CT), images from patient examinations taken with conventional scanners exhibit noise characteristics governed by electronics noise, when scanning strongly attenuating obese patients or with an ultra-low X-ray dose. Unlike CT systems based on energy integrating detectors, a system with a quantum counting detector does not suffer from this drawback. Instead, the noise from the electronics mainly affects the spectral resolution of these detectors. Therefore, it does not contribute to the image noise in spectrally non-resolved CT images. This promises improved image quality due to image noise reduction in scans obtained from clinical CT examinations with lowest X-ray tube currents or obese patients. To quantify the benefits of quantum counting detectors in clinical CT we have carried out an extensive simulation study of the complete scanning and reconstruction process for both kinds of detectors. The simulation chain encompasses modeling of the X-ray source, beam attenuation in the patient, and calculation of the detector response. Moreover, in each case the subsequent image preprocessing and reconstruction is modeled as well. The simulation-based, theoretical evaluation is validated by experiments with a novel prototype quantum counting system and a Siemens Definition Flash scanner with a conventional energy integrating CT detector. We demonstrate and quantify the improvement from image noise reduction achievable with quantum counting techniques in CT examinations with ultra-low X-ray dose and strong attenuation.

This study compares clinical, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and pathology findings in 16 prospectively, and seven retrospectively recruited dogs presented for suspected thyroid carcinoma. Of these, 17 were confirmed thyroid carcinoma, while six were initially misdiagnosed. These included four carotid body tumors, one para-esophageal abscess, and one undifferentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Thyroid carcinomas occurred in older dogs without evidence of sex predilection, and were more often unilateral. All were large, heterogeneous, moderately to strongly vascularized, and most commonly contained areas of dystrophic mineralization and/or fluid accumulations. On MRI, thyroid carcinomas appeared hyperintense compared to surrounding musculature in all imaging sequences used, while on CT they had a lower attenuation value than normal thyroid gland tissue. Histologically confirmed tumor capsule disruption with invasion of the surrounding structures was most commonly detected with MRI. Palpation was not an accurate predictor of locally invasive vs. well-encapsulated masses. Computed tomography had the highest specificity (100%) and MRI had the highest sensitivity (93%) in diagnosing thyroid carcinoma, while ultrasound had considerably lower results. We conclude that ultrasound is adequate for use as a screening tool for dogs with suspected thyroid carcinoma, but recommend either CT or MRI for preoperative diagnosis and staging.

Individual ice cores were collected from Barrow Environmental Observatory in Barrow, Alaska, throughout 2013 and 2014. Cores were drilled along different transects to sample polygonal features (i.e. the trough, center and rim of high, transitional and low center polygons). Most cores were drilled around 1 meter in depth and a few deep cores were drilled around 3 meters in depth. Three-dimensional images of the frozen cores were constructed using a medical X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner. TIFF files can be uploaded to ImageJ (an open-source imaging software) to examine soil structure and densities within each core.

Background Gas trapping quantified on chest CTscans has been proposed as a surrogate for small airway disease in COPD. We sought to determine if measurements using paired inspiratory and expiratory CTscans may be better able to separate gas trapping due to emphysema from gas trapping due to small airway disease. Methods Smokers with and without COPD from the COPDGene Study underwent inspiratory and expiratory chest CTscans. Emphysema was quantified by the percent of lung with attenuation CT. Four gas trapping measures were defined: (1) Exp−856, the percent of lung CT scans were less strongly correlated with emphysema. Exp−856, E/I MLA and RVC856-950 were predictive of spirometry, exercise capacity and quality of life in all subjects and in subjects without emphysema. In subjects with severe emphysema, E/I MLA and RVC856-950 showed the highest correlations with clinical variables. Conclusions Quantitative measures based on paired inspiratory and expiratory chest CTscans can be used as markers of small airway disease in smokers with and without COPD, but this will require that future studies acquire both inspiratory and expiratory CTscans. PMID:23566024

A urinary stone is a solid piece of material produced from crystallization of excreted substances in the urine. Knowledge of the composition of urinary stones is essential to determine the suitable treatment for the patient. The aim of this research was to characterize urinary stones using single energy micro CT SkyScan 1173. Six human urinary stones were scanned in vitro using 80 kV in micro CT SkyScan 1173. The produced projection, images, were reconstructed using NRecon (in-house software from SkyScan). The images of urinary stones were analyzed using CT Analyser (CT An) to obtain information of the internal structure and the Hounsfield Unit (HU) value to determine the information regarding the composition of the urinary stones, respectively. The average HU values from certain region of interests in the same slice were compared with spectral curves of known materials from National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). From the analysis, the composition of the six scanned stones were obtained. Two stones are composed of cystine, two are composed of struvite, two other stones are composed of struvite+cystine. In conclusion, the single energy micro CT with 80 kV can be used identifying cystine and struvite urinary stone.

We present the complete construction methodology for an anatomically accurate mouse phantom made using materials which mimic the characteristics of tissue, lung, and bone for radiation dosimetry studies. Phantoms were constructed using 2 mm thick slices of tissue equivalent material which was precision machined to clear regions for insertion of lung and bone equivalent material where appropriate. Images obtained using a 3D computed tomography (CT) scan clearly indicate regions of tissue, lung, and bone that match their position within the original mouse CTscan. Additionally, radiographic films are used with the phantom to demonstrate dose mapping capabilities. The construction methodology presented here can be quickly and easily adapted to create a phantom of any specific small animal given a segmented CTscan of the animal. These physical phantoms are a useful tool to examine individual organ dose and dosimetry within mouse systems that are complicated by density inhomogeneity due to bone and lung regions.

We present the complete construction methodology for an anatomically accurate mouse phantom made using materials which mimic the characteristics of tissue, lung, and bone for radiation dosimetry studies. Phantoms were constructed using 2 mm thick slices of tissue equivalent material which was precision machined to clear regions for insertion of lung and bone equivalent material where appropriate. Images obtained using a 3D computed tomography (CT) scan clearly indicate regions of tissue, lung, and bone that match their position within the original mouse CTscan. Additionally, radiographic films are used with the phantom to demonstrate dose mapping capabilities. The construction methodology presented here can be quickly and easily adapted to create a phantom of any specific small animal given a segmented CTscan of the animal. These physical phantoms are a useful tool to examine individual organ dose and dosimetry within mouse systems that are complicated by density inhomogeneity due to bone and lung regions.

We present the complete construction methodology for an anatomically accurate mouse phantom made using materials which mimic the characteristics of tissue, lung, and bone for radiation dosimetry studies. Phantoms were constructed using 2 mm thick slices of tissue equivalent material which was precision machined to clear regions for insertion of lung and bone equivalent material where appropriate. Images obtained using a 3D computed tomography (CT) scan clearly indicate regions of tissue, lung, and bone that match their position within the original mouse CTscan. Additionally, radiographic films are used with the phantom to demonstrate dose mapping capabilities. The construction methodology presented here can be quickly and easily adapted to create a phantom of any specific small animal given a segmented CTscan of the animal. These physical phantoms are a useful tool to examine individual organ dose and dosimetry within mouse systems that are complicated by density inhomogeneity due to bone and lung regions. PMID:25860401

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of volume scan tube current modulation (VS-ATCM) with adaptive iterative dose reduction 3D (AIDR3D) technique in abdomen CT examinations. We scanned an elliptical cone-shaped phantom utilizing AIDR3D technique combined with VS-ATCM mode in a 320-detector row CT scanner. The image noise distributions with conventional filtered back-projction (FBP) technique and those with AIDR3D technique were compared. The radiation dose profile and tube current time product (mAs) in three noise levels of VS-ATCM modes were compared. The radiation beam profiles of five preset scan lengths were measured using Gafchromic film strips to assess the effects of overbeaming and everlapping. The results indicated that the image noises with AIDR3D technique was 13-74% lower than those in FBP technique. The mAs distributions can be a prediction for various abdominal sizes when undergoing a VS-ATCM mode scan. Patients can receive the radiation dose of overbeaming and overlapping during the VS-ATCM mode scans.

Twenty-four small cell lung carcinoma patients with morphologically normal adrenal glands by computed tomographic (CT) criteria underwent percutaneous thin-needle biopsy of their adrenal glands. Of 43 glands biopsied, 29 had adequate cellular material for interpretation. Five (17%) of the 29 glands were positive for metastases; the rest had negative biopsies. This series indicates an approximate 17% false-negative diagnosis rate by CT when staging the adrenal glands in patients with small cell lung carcinoma. It also demonstrates the utility of percutaneous needle biopsy as an investigational tool to further evaluate normal-sized adrenal glands in the oncologic patient.

Computed tomography (CT) has long been a powerful tool in the diagnosis of disease, identification of tumors and guidance of interventional procedures. With CT examinations comes the concern of radiation exposure and the associated risks. In order to properly understand those risks on a patient-specific level, organ dose must be quantified for each CTscan. Some of the most widely used organ dose estimates are derived from fixed tube current (FTC) scans of a standard sized idealized patient model. However, in current clinical practice, patient size varies from neonates weighing just a few kg to morbidly obese patients weighing over 200 kg, and nearly all CT exams are performed with tube current modulation (TCM), a scanning technique that adjusts scanner output according to changes in patient attenuation. Methods to account for TCM in CT organ dose estimates have been previously demonstrated, but these methods are limited in scope and/or restricted to idealized TCM profiles that are not based on physical observations and not scanner specific (e.g. don't account for tube limits, scanner-specific effects, etc.). The goal of this work was to develop methods to estimate organ doses to patients undergoing CTscans that take into account both the patient size as well as the effects of TCM. This work started with the development and validation of methods to estimate scanner-specific TCM schemes for any voxelized patient model. An approach was developed to generate estimated TCM schemes that match actual TCM schemes that would have been acquired on the scanner for any patient model. Using this approach, TCM schemes were then generated for a variety of body CT protocols for a set of reference voxelized phantoms for which TCM information does not currently exist. These are whole body patient models representing a variety of sizes, ages and genders that have all radiosensitive organs identified. TCM schemes for these models facilitated Monte Carlo-based estimates of fully

Purpose: The approach to equilibrium function has been used previously to calculate the radiation dose to a shift-invariant medium undergoing CTscans with constant tube current [Li, Zhang, and Liu, Med. Phys. 39, 5347–5352 (2012)]. The authors have adapted this method to CTscans with tube current modulation (TCM). Methods: For a scan with variable tube current, the scan range was divided into multiple subscan ranges, each with a nearly constant tube current. Then the dose calculation algorithm presented previously was applied. For a clinical CTscan series that presented tube current per slice, the authors adopted an efficient approach that computed the longitudinal dose distribution for one scan length equal to the slice thickness, which center was at z = 0. The cumulative dose at a specific point was a summation of the contributions from all slices and the overscan. Results: The dose calculations performed for a total of four constant and variable tube current distributions agreed with the published results of Dixon and Boone [Med. Phys. 40, 111920 (14pp.) (2013)]. For an abdomen/pelvis scan of an anthropomorphic phantom (model ATOM 701-B, CIRS, Inc., VA) on a GE Lightspeed Pro 16 scanner with 120 kV, N × T = 20 mm, pitch = 1.375, z axis current modulation (auto mA), and angular current modulation (smart mA), dose measurements were performed using two lines of optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters, one of which was placed near the phantom center and the other on the surface. Dose calculations were performed on the central and peripheral axes of a cylinder containing water, whose cross-sectional mass was about equal to that of the ATOM phantom in its abdominal region, and the results agreed with the measurements within 28.4%. Conclusions: The described method provides an effective approach that takes into account subject size, scan length, and constant or variable tube current to evaluate CT dose to a shift-invariant medium. For a clinical CTscan

It is known that Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) Positron Emission/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) images may be helpful for evaluation of brain function in newborns. Here we described the fluorine-18 [18-F] FDG PET/CT imaging findings of encephalomalacia due to perinatal asphyxia in a child with refractory Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL) who underwent PET/CTscan to stage the primary disease. Prominent hypometabolism was incidentally detected in the occipital regions bilaterally apart from the FDG uptakes in the malign lymphatic infiltrations. This case highlights the potential coexistence of a malignancy and a functional brain disorder. PMID:27965911

The use of bone scans in the evaluation of renal cell carcinoma has become routine in many centers. In a retrospective analysis of 42 patients undergoing radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma, the authors analyzed the cost-effectiveness of routine preoperative bone scans. Although these scans accurately predict metastatic disease to bone, they are not cost-effective as a routine preoperative tool because they do not alter outcome. In selected patients with bone pain and no other positive staging studies, preoperative bone scans may be of value in the decision to perform extirpative surgery.

Calculation of the estimated body surface area (BSA) by body height and weight has been a challenge in the past centuries due to lack of a well-documented gold standard. More recently, available techniques such as 3D laser surface scanning and CTscanning may be expected to quantify the BSA in an easier and more accurate way. This study provides the first comparison between BSA obtained from post-mortem whole-body CTscans and BSA calculated by nine predictive formulae. The sample consisted of 54 male cadavers ranging from 20 to 87 years old. 3D reconstructions were generated from CTscans using Mimics software, and BSA values were automatically extracted from the program. They were compared with nine predictive equations from the literature. Remarkably, close correlations (r > 0·90) were found between BSA values from CTscans and those from the predictive formulae. A mean BSA of the 54 cadavers of 1·84-1·87 m(2) was calculated by all formulae except one, SD values varying between 0·171 and 0·223 m(2) . T-tests revealed significant differences between mean BSA values calculated with CT and three of the formulae. Regression analyses showed intercepts >(0;0) and slopes <1·0 using all predictive equations, with the CTscan determination as gold standard. It is concluded that DuBois and DuBois' equation can be safely used in normal-weight male subjects with high accuracy, but it seems likely that BSA is underestimated in underweight subjects and overestimated in overweight individuals. Creation of new formulae specific for overweight subjects and children may be needed.

Purpose: To identify the effective quantitative image features (radiomics features) for prediction of response, survival, recurrence and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in radiotherapy. Methods: Multiphase contrast enhanced liver CT images were acquired in 16 patients with HCC on pre and post radiation therapy (RT). In this study, arterial phase CT images were selected to analyze the effectiveness of image features for the prediction of treatment outcome of HCC to RT. Response evaluated by RECIST criteria, survival, local recurrence (LR), distant metastasis (DM) and liver metastasis (LM) were examined. A radiation oncologist manually delineated the tumor and normal liver on pre and post CTscans, respectively. Quantitative image features were extracted to characterize the intensity distribution (n=8), spatial patterns (texture, n=36), and shape (n=16) of the tumor and liver, respectively. Moreover, differences between pre and post image features were calculated (n=120). A total of 360 features were extracted and then analyzed by unpaired student’s t-test to rank the effectiveness of features for the prediction of response. Results: The five most effective features were selected for prediction of each outcome. Significant predictors for tumor response and survival are changes in tumor shape (Second Major Axes Length, p= 0.002; Eccentricity, p=0.0002), for LR, liver texture (Standard Deviation (SD) of High Grey Level Run Emphasis and SD of Entropy, both p=0.005) on pre and post CT images, for DM, tumor texture (SD of Entropy, p=0.01) on pre CT image and for LM, liver (Mean of Cluster Shade, p=0.004) and tumor texture (SD of Entropy, p=0.006) on pre CT image. Intensity distribution features were not significant (p>0.09). Conclusion: Quantitative CT image features were found to be potential predictors of the five endpoints of HCC in RT. This work was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute Grant R01CA172638.

Although the prognosis of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) is generally encouraging, a diagnostic dilemma is posed when an increasing level of serum thyroglobulin (Tg) is noted, without detection of a recurrent tumor using conventional imaging tools such as the iodine-131 whole-body scanning (the [(131)I] scan) or neck ultrasonography (US). The objective of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of [(124)I]-PET/CT and [(18)F]-FDG-PET/CT in terms of accurate detection of both iodine- and non-iodine-avid recurrence, compared with that of conventional imaging such as the [(131)I] scan or neck ultrasonography (US). Between July 2009 and June 2010, we prospectively studied 19 DTC patients with elevated thyroglobulin levels but who do not show pathological lesions when conventional imaging modalities are used. All involved patients had undergone total thyroidectomy and radioiodine (RI) treatment, and who had been followed-up for a mean of 13 months (range, 6-21 months) after the last RI session. Combined [(18)F]-FDG-PET/CT and [(124)I]-PET/CT data were evaluated for detecting recurrent DTC lesions in study patients and compared with those of other radiological and/or cytological investigations. Nine of 19 patients (47.4%) showed pathological [(18)F]-FDG (5/19, 26.3%) or [(124)I]-PET (4/19, 21.1%) uptake, and were classed as true-positives. Among such patients, disease management was modified in six (66.7%) and disease was restaged in seven (77.8%). In particular, the use of the described imaging combination optimized planning of surgical resection to deal with locoregional recurrence in 21.1% (4/19) of patients, who were shown to be disease-free during follow-up after surgery. Our results indicate that combination of [(18)F]-FDG-PET/CT and [(124)I]-PET/CT affords a valuable diagnostic method that can be used to make therapeutic decisions in patients with DTC who are tumor-free on conventional imaging studies but who have high Tg levels.

Spontaneous bladder perforation is a very rare event. Prompt diagnosis of this injury is very important, particularly with intraperitoneal perforation, because mortality increases if surgical repair is delayed. Previous studies have reported that plain cystography is the primary modality of imaging study rather than relatively insensitive computed tomography (CT) when bladder perforation is suspected. We report here a rare case of spontaneous intraperitoneal perforation of the bladder associated with urothelial carcinoma with divergent histologic differentiation, as diagnosed with CT cystography.

The risk of cancer from computed tomography (CT) scan radiation is a rising concern in the medical field. Our objectives were to determine how many patients received more than ten CTscans in an academic emergency department (ED) over the course of 7 years and to quantify their radiation exposure and lifetime attributable risk of cancer. An electronic chart review was performed at our urban academic institution with an annual census of 110,000 patients. All patients who underwent a CTscan performed during ED management between the dates of January 2001 and December 2007 were identified. Specific predetermined data elements (e.g., subject demographics, type of CTscan) were extracted by two researchers blinded to hypothesis, using a preformatted data form. After identifying patients with more than ten CTs performed during the study period, radiation exposure was calculated based on accepted and reported radiation doses for the respective anatomic CTs, and lifetime attributable cancer risk was calculated based on the seventh report of the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR VII) projections. Over the 7-year study period, 24,393 patients received 34,671 CTscans. The vast majority of patients (17,909) received a single CT. Twenty-six (0.1 %) patients received more than ten CTs totaling 374 scans with an average radiation exposure of 83.4 mSv. The maximum lifetime attributable risk for any individual in this cohort was 1.7 % above the baseline cancer risk. Among those undergoing CT imaging in our ED, high-exposure patients (greater than ten scans) constituted a significant minority, while more than one in four patients underwent more than one CTscan during the study period. While the presumed overall risk of radiation-induced cancer continues to be low, it is important for the emergency physician to use clinical knowledge as well as concern for the patient when utilizing radiographic imaging. Increasing attributable cancer risk may have important

We present an automatic approach for an efficient brain extraction from CT head scans. Regions of interest are first set in each slice by applying thresholding and region growing. Next, the brain candidates are extracted by using three-dimensional region growing with a variable, anatomy-dependent structuring element. Domain knowledge, including Hounsfield unit ranges, anatomy, and image acquisition parameters, is applied. The proposed method has been applied automatically to 27 CT normal and pathological scans and has shown promising results. The average sensitivity, specificity and Dice's index for 5 cases are 99.6%, 99.4% and 98.7%, respectively.

Extraction of the outer contour of the skull is an important step in craniofacial reconstruction. The outer contour is required for surface reconstruction of the skull. In this paper, we propose a method to extract the outer contour of the skull. The extraction process consists of four stages: defining the region of interest, segmentation of the bone, noise removal and extraction of the outer contour based on scanning from the four sides of the image. The proposed method successfully extracts the outermost contour of the skull and avoids redundant data.

Purpose: We propose to simulate an artificial four-dimensional (4-D) CT image of the thorax during breathing. It is performed by deformable registration of two CTscans acquired at inhale and exhale breath-hold. Materials and methods: Breath-hold images were acquired with the ABC (Active Breathing Coordinator) system. Dense deformable registrations were performed. The method was a minimization of the sum of squared differences (SSD) using an approximated second-order gradient. Gaussian and linear-elastic vector field regularizations were compared. A new preprocessing step, called a priori lung density modification (APLDM), was proposed to take into account lung density changes due to inspiration. It consisted of modulating the lung densities in one image according to the densities in the other, in order to make them comparable. Simulated 4-D images were then built by vector field interpolation and image resampling of the two initial CT images. A variation in the lung density was taken into account to generate intermediate artificial CT images. The Jacobian of the deformation was used to compute voxel values in Hounsfield units. The accuracy of the deformable registration was assessed by the spatial correspondence of anatomic landmarks located by experts. Results: APLDM produced statistically significantly better results than the reference method (registration without APLDM preprocessing). The mean (and standard deviation) of distances between automatically found landmark positions and landmarks set by experts were 2.7(1.1) mm with APLDM, and 6.3(3.8) mm without. Interexpert variability was 2.3(1.2) mm. The differences between Gaussian and linear elastic regularizations were not statistically significant. In the second experiment using 4-D images, the mean difference between automatic and manual landmark positions for intermediate CT images was 2.6(2.0) mm. Conclusion: The generation of 4-D CT images by deformable registration of inhale and exhale CT images is

Different modalities for imaging cancer-bearing breast tissue samples are described and compared. The images include clinical mammograms and computed tomography (CT) images, CT images with partly coherent synchrotron radiation (SR), and CT and radiography images taken with SR using the diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI) method. The images are evaluated by a radiologist and compared with histopathological examination of the samples. Two cases of lobular carcinoma are studied in detail. The indications of cancer are very weak or invisible in the conventional images, but the morphological changes due to invasion of cancer become pronounced in the images taken by the DEI method. The strands penetrating adipose tissue are seen clearly in the DEI-CT images, and the histopathology confirms that some strands contain the so-called 'Indian file' formations of cancer cells. The radiation dose is carefully measured for each of the imaging modalities. The mean glandular dose (MGD) for 50% glandular breast tissue is about 1 mGy in conventional mammography and less than 0.25 mGy in projection DEI, while in the clinical CT imaging the MGD is very high, about 45 mGy. The entrance dose of 95 mGy in DEI-CT imaging gives rise to an MGD of 40 mGy, but the dose may be reduced by an order of magnitude, because the contrast is very large in most images.

Computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis is frequently performed for the staging of abdominal and pelvic lymphoma. Certain limited CT protocols have been nearly as accurate as more complete examinations at defining the extent of lymphadenopathy and the response to therapy, with the advantages of decreased scanning time and patient radiation dose. The authors reviewed abdominal and pelvic CTscans and reports of 58 patients with Hodgkin disease to determine whether the entire abdomen and pelvis must always be scanned in such patients. Pelvic adenopathy without concurrent abdominal adenopathy was present in only one of 58 patients, and that patient presented clinically with inguinal adenopathy. These findings are supported by larger pathologic studies showing that Hodgkin disease always spreads contiguously. Patients with Hodgkin disease presenting above the diaphragm should undergo abdominal CT for staging; if the abdomen is normal, the pelvis need not be scanned. For Hodgkin patients with clinical or CT evidence of disease below the diaphragm, both abdomen and pelvis should be scanned.

Dual imaging with both contrast enhanced CTscan and PET-CT is recommended for evaluation of lymphoma. We compared the performance in identification and size measurements of involved lymph nodes in FDG-avid lymphomas on the low dose non-contrast enhanced CT of a PET-CTscan with those on a diagnostic contrast enhanced CTscan. The size of FDG-avid lymph nodes was measured in both the short and long axis on both the low dose non-contrast CT of the PET-CT and the contrast enhanced CT by two independent readers. A total of 307 FGD avid lymph nodes were identified in 52 patients. There was no statistically significant differences in the measured size of the nodes on the non-contrast and contrast enhanced scans (p=0.21). Baseline staging and restaging of FDG-avid lymphomas can be performed with one test, PET-CT, without an accompanying contrast enhanced CTscan, with no effect on the measured nodal size.

Parametric response mapping (PRM) of inspiration and expiration computed tomography (CT) images improves the radiological phenotyping of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). PRM classifies individual voxels of lung parenchyma as normal, emphysematous, or nonemphysematous air trapping. In this study, bias and noise characteristics of the PRM methodology to CT and clinical procedures were evaluated to determine best practices for this quantitative technique. Twenty patients of varying COPD status with paired volumetric inspiration and expiration CTscans of the lungs were identified from the baseline COPD-Gene cohort. The impact of CT scanner manufacturer and reconstruction kernels were evaluated as potential sources of variability in PRM measurements along with simulations to quantify the impact of inspiration/expiration lung volume levels, misregistration, and image spacing on PRM measurements. Negligible variation in PRM metrics was observed when CT scanner type and reconstruction were consistent and inspiration/expiration lung volume levels were near target volumes. CT scanner Hounsfield unit drift occurred but remained difficult to ameliorate. Increasing levels of image misregistration and CT slice spacing were found to have a minor effect on PRM measurements. PRM-derived values were found to be most sensitive to lung volume levels and mismatched reconstruction kernels. As with other quantitative imaging techniques, reliable PRM measurements are attainable when consistent clinical and CT protocols are implemented. PMID:26568983

Parametric response mapping (PRM) of inspiration and expiration computed tomography (CT) images improves the radiological phenotyping of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). PRM classifies individual voxels of lung parenchyma as normal, emphysematous, or nonemphysematous air trapping. In this study, bias and noise characteristics of the PRM methodology to CT and clinical procedures were evaluated to determine best practices for this quantitative technique. Twenty patients of varying COPD status with paired volumetric inspiration and expiration CTscans of the lungs were identified from the baseline COPD-Gene cohort. The impact of CT scanner manufacturer and reconstruction kernels were evaluated as potential sources of variability in PRM measurements along with simulations to quantify the impact of inspiration/expiration lung volume levels, misregistration, and image spacing on PRM measurements. Negligible variation in PRM metrics was observed when CT scanner type and reconstruction were consistent and inspiration/expiration lung volume levels were near target volumes. CT scanner Hounsfield unit drift occurred but remained difficult to ameliorate. Increasing levels of image misregistration and CT slice spacing were found to have a minor effect on PRM measurements. PRM-derived values were found to be most sensitive to lung volume levels and mismatched reconstruction kernels. As with other quantitative imaging techniques, reliable PRM measurements are attainable when consistent clinical and CT protocols are implemented.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a lung disease characterized by progressive air flow limitation caused by emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Emphysema is quantified from chest computed tomography (CT) scans as the percentage of attentuation values below a fixed threshold. The emphysema quantification varies substantially between scans reconstructed with different kernels, limiting the possibilities to compare emphysema quantifications obtained from scans with different reconstruction parameters. In this paper we propose a method to normalize scans reconstructed with different kernels to have the same characteristics as scans reconstructed with a reference kernel and investigate if this normalization reduces the variability in emphysema quantification. The proposed normalization splits a CTscan into different frequency bands based on hierarchical unsharp masking. Normalization is performed by changing the energy in each frequency band to the average energy in each band in the reference kernel. A database of 15 subjects with COPD was constructed for this study. All subjects were scanned at total lung capacity and the scans were reconstructed with four different reconstruction kernels. The normalization was applied to all scans. Emphysema quantification was performed before and after normalization. It is shown that the emphysema score varies substantially before normalization but the variation diminishes after normalization.

The purposes of this study were to revisit the utility of ultrasonography (USG) as a primary imaging modality in acute appendicitis (AA) and to establish the role of CTscan as a second-line/problem-solving modality. All cases of suspected AA were referred for urgent USG. USG was done with standard protocol for appendicitis. Limited computed tomographic (CT) scan [NCCT ± CECT (IV contrast only)] was done for the lower abdomen and pelvis where sonographic findings were equivocal. One hundred and twenty-one patients were referred for USG for suspected appendicitis. Eight-four patients underwent surgery for AA based on clinical as well as imaging findings, of whom 76 had appendicitis confirmed at histopathology. Three patients were misdiagnosed (3.6 %) on USG as appendicitis. Of 76 patients of appendicitis confirmed histopathologically, 63 (82.8 %) had features of appendicitis on USG and did not require any additional imaging modality. Of 121 patients, 12 (10 %) needed CTscan because of atypical features on USG. Of these 12 patients, seven had retrocecal appendicitis, and three high-up paracolic appendicitis. USG alone had sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of 81, 88, 92.6, 71.6, and 83 %, respectively. When combined with CTscan in select cases, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of combined USG + CTscan were 96 % (P = 0.0014), 89 %, 93 %, 93.5 % (P = 0.0001), and 93 % (P = 0.0484), respectively. Twenty-eight (23 %) patients were given alternative diagnosis on USG. Dedicated appendiceal USG should be used as a primary imaging modality in diagnosing or excluding AA. Appendiceal CT can serve as a problem-solving modality.

A 75-year-old patient was diagnosed with a Gleason 9 prostate carcinoma. His PSA level was 50.4 ng/ml. Routine bone scintigraphy was negative for metastasis (a). Due to the high tumour grading and relatively high PSA level, (68)Ga-PSMA PET-CT was ordered to rule out distant metastases. This scan showed numerous skeletal lesions with high tracer accumulation as sign of diffuse osseous metastases (b). On low-dose CT there were no signs of sclerosis (c). (68)Ga-PSMA PET-CT also showed high uptake in the prostate and in para-iliac and para-aortal lymph nodes, without lymph node enlargement. No bone biopsy was obtained to confirm the metastases. Due to this result, the treatment plan was changed to systemic therapy, instead of local therapy.

Purpose: Many medical image analysis systems require segmentation of the structures of interest as a first step. For scans with gross pathology, automatic segmentation methods may fail. The authors’ aim is to develop a versatile, fast, and reliable interactive system to segment anatomical structures. In this study, this system was used for segmenting lungs in challenging thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans. Methods: In volumetric thoracic CTscans, the chest is segmented and divided into 3D volumes of interest (VOIs), containing voxels with similar densities. These VOIs are automatically labeled as either lung tissue or nonlung tissue. The automatic labeling results can be corrected using an interactive or a supervised interactive approach. When using the supervised interactive system, the user is shown the classification results per slice, whereupon he/she can adjust incorrect labels. The system is retrained continuously, taking the corrections and approvals of the user into account. In this way, the system learns to make a better distinction between lung tissue and nonlung tissue. When using the interactive framework without supervised learning, the user corrects all incorrectly labeled VOIs manually. Both interactive segmentation tools were tested on 32 volumetric CTscans of pigs, mice and humans, containing pulmonary abnormalities. Results: On average, supervised interactive lung segmentation took under 9 min of user interaction. Algorithm computing time was 2 min on average, but can easily be reduced. On average, 2.0% of all VOIs in a scan had to be relabeled. Lung segmentation using the interactive segmentation method took on average 13 min and involved relabeling 3.0% of all VOIs on average. The resulting segmentations correspond well to manual delineations of eight axial slices per scan, with an average Dice similarity coefficient of 0.933. Conclusions: The authors have developed two fast and reliable methods for interactive lung segmentation in

Bone metastasis is the most frequent type of distant metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this study, we investigated the correlation between the skull base bone destruction and the distant bone metastasis in patients with NPC. A total of 449 cases with NPC who were diagnosed and had definitive radiotherapy from 2001 to 2006 were enrolled in this study. The skull base bone destruction was diagnosed by computed tomography (CT) in all cases, and 191 patients also underwent magnetic resonance imaging scan. Kaplan–Meier method was adopted to perform the univariate analysis; Cox regression model was used to perform multivariate analysis to determine whether the skull base bone destruction when diagnosed by CT was an independent impact factor of the distant bone metastases. The group with skull base bone destruction had a distant bone metastases rate of 9.0% (14/155), whereas the group without skull base bone destruction had rate of 4.1% (12/294). The multivariate analysis showed that the skull base bone destruction, when diagnosed by CT, was an independent impact factor of the distant bone metastases-free survival in the early N-staging cases, but was not an independent impact factor when diagnosed by MRI. The skull base bone destruction diagnosed by CT in patients with NPC had predictive value for the distant bone metastases, especially for the early N-staging cases. PMID:27895493

Background Paranasal sinus CT has high sensitivity and specificity for sinusitis. However, this modality is costly and involves greater radiation exposure than plain radiographs. Objectives We tried to compare 10-cut limited CTscan and standard CTscan in the diagnosis of sinusitis. Materials and Methods We conducted a cross sectional case series from August to December 2010 on 150 patients with non-randomized sampling method in academic hospitals related to medical school of Shahid Beheshti University of medical sciences. Using standard CTscan as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of limited series were calculated for each sinus group. Results In our study limited CTscan had a sensitivity of 92%, specificity of 94%, positive predictive value of 90% and negative predictive value of 95%. Conclusions The limited CTscan is useful for confirming the clinical diagnosis of sinusitis. PMID:23396584

Objectives It is not currently clear whether all anticoagulated patients with a head injury should receive CTscanning or only those with evidence of traumatic brain injury (eg, loss of consciousness or amnesia). We aimed to determine the cost-effectiveness of CT for all compared with selective CT use for anticoagulated patients with a head injury. Design Decision-analysis modelling of data from a multicentre observational study. Setting 33 emergency departments in England and Scotland. Participants 3566 adults (aged ≥16 years) who had suffered blunt head injury, were taking warfarin and underwent selective CTscanning. Main outcome measures Estimated expected benefits in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were the entire cohort to receive a CTscan; estimated increased costs of CT and also the potential cost implications associated with patient survival and improved health. These values were used to estimate the cost per QALY of implementing a strategy of CT for all patients compared with observed practice based on guidelines recommending selective CT use. Results Of the 1420 of 3534 patients (40%) who did not receive a CTscan, 7 (0.5%) suffered a potentially avoidable head injury-related adverse outcome. If CTscanning had been performed in all patients, appropriate treatment could have gained 3.41 additional QALYs but would have incurred £193 149 additional treatment costs and £130 683 additional CT costs. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £94 895/QALY gained for unselective compared with selective CT use is markedly above the threshold of £20–30 000/QALY used by the UK National Institute for Care Excellence to determine cost-effectiveness. Conclusions CTscanning for all anticoagulated patients with head injury is not cost-effective compared with selective use of CTscanning based on guidelines recommending scanning only for those with evidence of traumatic brain injury. Trial registration number NCT 02461498. PMID

X-ray phase contrast computed tomography (CT) uses the phase shift that x-rays undergo when passing through matter, rather than their attenuation, as the imaging signal and may provide better image quality in soft-tissue and biomedical materials with low atomic number. Here a geometry-constraint-scan imaging technique for in-line phase contrast micro-CT is reported. It consists of two circular-trajectory scans with x-ray detector at different positions, the phase projection extraction method with the Fresnel free-propagation theory and the filter back-projection reconstruction algorithm. This method removes the contact-detector scan and the pure phase object assumption in classical in-line phase contrast Micro-CT. Consequently it relaxes the experimental conditions and improves the image contrast. This work comprises a numerical study of this technique and its experimental verification using a biomedical composite dataset measured at an x-ray tube source Micro-CT setup. The numerical and experimental results demonstrate the validity of the presented method. It will be of interest for a wide range of in-line phase contrast Micro-CT applications in biology and medicine.

Purpose: Based on an energy-dependent property of matter, one may obtain a pseudomonochromatic attenuation map, a material composition image, an electron-density distribution, and an atomic number image using a dual- or multienergy computed tomography (CT) scan. Dual- and multienergy CTscans broaden the potential of x-ray CT imaging. The development of such systems is very useful in both medical and industrial investigations. In this paper, the authors propose a new dual- and multienergy CT system design (segmental multienergy CT, SegMECT) using an innovative scanning scheme that is conveniently implemented on a conventional single-energy CT system. The two-step-energy dual-energy CT can be regarded as a special case of SegMECT. A special reconstruction method is proposed to support SegMECT. Methods: In their SegMECT, a circular trajectory in a CTscan is angularly divided into several arcs. The x-ray source is set to a different tube voltage for each arc of the trajectory. Thus, the authors only need to make a few step changes to the x-ray energy during the scan to complete a multienergy data acquisition. With such a data set, the image reconstruction might suffer from severe limited-angle artifacts if using conventional reconstruction methods. To solve the problem, they present a new prior-image-based reconstruction technique using a total variance norm of a quotient image constraint. On the one hand, the prior extracts structural information from all of the projection data. On the other hand, the effect from a possibly imprecise intensity level of the prior can be mitigated by minimizing the total variance of a quotient image. Results: The authors present a new scheme for a SegMECT configuration and establish a reconstruction method for such a system. Both numerical simulation and a practical phantom experiment are conducted to validate the proposed reconstruction method and the effectiveness of the system design. The results demonstrate that the proposed Seg

Fluorine-18 fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (F-18 FDG PET) is not sensitive modality for the diagnosis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, FDG-PET imaging may be useful in the identification of extrahepatic metastases. We report an interesting image of HCC with solitary metastasis to sternum detected by F-18 FDG PET/CT.

A study published in the June 6, 2012, issue of The Lancet shows that radiation exposure from computed tomography (CT) scans in childhood results in very small but increased risks of leukemia and brain tumors in the first decade after exposure.

In this paper, we investigate the automatic detection of white and brown adipose tissues using Positron Emission Tomography/ Computed Tomography (PET/CT) scans, and develop methods for the quantification of these tissues at the whole-body and body-region levels. We propose a patient-specific automatic adiposity analysis system with two modules. In the first module, we detect white adipose tissue (WAT) and its two sub-types from CTscans: Visceral Adipose Tissue (VAT) and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue (SAT). This process relies conventionally on manual or semi-automated segmentation, leading to inefficient solutions. Our novel framework addresses this challenge by proposing an unsupervised learning method to separate VAT from SAT in the abdominal region for the clinical quantification of central obesity. This step is followed by a context driven label fusion algorithm through sparse 3D Conditional Random Fields (CRF) for volumetric adiposity analysis. In the second module, we automatically detect, segment, and quantify brown adipose tissue (BAT) using PET scans because unlike WAT, BAT is metabolically active. After identifying BAT regions using PET, we perform a co-segmentation procedure utilizing asymmetric complementary information from PET and CT. Finally, we present a new probabilistic distance metric for differentiating BAT from non-BAT regions. Both modules are integrated via an automatic body-region detection unit based on one-shot learning. Experimental evaluations conducted on 151 PET/CTscans achieve state-of-the-art performances in both central obesity as well as brown adiposity quantification.

Bone specific, CT-based finite element (FE) analyses have great potential to accurately predict the fracture risk of deteriorated bones. However, it has been shown that differences exist between FE-models of femora scanned in a water basin or scanned in situ within the human body, as caused by differences in measured bone mineral densities (BMD). In this study we hypothesized that these differences can be reduced by re-creating the patient CT-conditions by using an anatomically shaped physical model of the lower body. BMD distributions were obtained from four different femora that were scanned under three conditions: (1) in situ within the cadaver body, (2) in a water basin and (3) in the body model. The BMD of the three scanning protocols were compared at two locations: proximally, in the trabecular bone of the femoral head, and in the cortical bone of the femoral shaft. Proximally, no significant differences in BMD were found between the in situ scans and the scans in the body model, whereas the densities from the water basin scans were on average 10.8% lower than in situ. In the femoral shaft the differences between the three scanning protocols were insignificant. In conclusion, the body model better approached the in situ situation than a water basin. Future studies can use this body model to mimic patient situations and to develop protocols to improve the performance of the FE-models in actual patients.

Purpose: Pancreatic cancer primary tumor size measurements are often discordant between computed tomography (CT) and pathologic specimen after resection. Dimensions of the primary tumor are increasingly relevant in an era of highly conformal radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: We retrospectively evaluated 97 consecutive patients with resected pancreatic cancer at two Boston hospitals. All patients had CTscans before surgical resection. Primary endpoints were maximum dimension (in millimeters) of the primary tumor in any direction as reported by the radiologist on CT and by the pathologist for the resected gross fresh specimen. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) findings were analyzed if available. Results: Of the patients, 87 (90%) had preoperative CTscans available for review and 46 (47%) had EUS. Among proximal tumors (n = 69), 40 (58%) had pathologic duodenal invasion, which was seen on CT in only 3 cases. The pathologic tumor size was a median of 7 mm larger compared with CT size for the same patient (range, -15 to 43 mm; p < 0.0001), with 73 patients (84%) having a primary tumor larger on pathology than CT. Endoscopic ultrasound was somewhat more accurate, with pathologic tumor size being a median of only 5 mm larger compared with EUS size (range, -15 to 35 mm; p = 0.0003). Conclusions: Computed tomography scans significantly under-represent pancreatic cancer tumor size compared with pathologic specimens in resectable cases. We propose a clinical target volume expansion formula for the primary tumor based on our data. The high rate of pathologic duodenal invasion suggests a risk of duodenal undercoverage with highly conformal radiotherapy.

Importance A 2009 randomized clinical trial (RCT) demonstrated that using CA-125 tests for routine surveillance in ovarian cancer increases chemotherapy use and decreases patients’ quality of life without improving survival, compared with clinical observation. The Society of Gynecologic Oncology guidelines categorize CA-125 testing as “optional” and discourage the use of radiographic imaging for routine surveillance. To date, few studies have examined their use in clinical practice. Objective To examine the use of CA-125 tests and CTscans in clinical practice before and after the 2009 RCT and estimate the economic impact of surveillance testing. Design Prospective cohort of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer between 2004-2011 and followed through 2012. Setting Six National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Centers. Participants 1,241 women with ovarian cancer in clinical remission after completion of primary cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy. Main Outcome Measures Use of CA-125 tests and CTscans before and after 2009 (n=1,241). Secondary outcomes included: the time from CA-125 doubling to retreatment among women who experienced a rise in CA-125 (n=511) before and after 2009, and the costs associated with surveillance testing using 2016 Medicare reimbursement rates. Results Use of CA-125 testing and CTscans was very similar over the study period. During 12 months of surveillance, the cumulative incidence of 3 or more CA-125 tests was 86% in 2004-2009 versus 91% in 2010-2012 (P=.95), and the cumulative incidence of more than 1 CTscan was 81% (2004-2009) versus 78% (2010-2012) (P=.50). Among women who experienced a CA-125 doubling (n=511), there was no significant difference in the time to retreatment with chemotherapy before and after 2009 (median: 2.8 months vs. 3.5 months, P=.40). Over a 12-month period, there were a mean of 4.6 CA-125 tests and 1.7 CTscans per patient, resulting in a United States population surveillance cost estimate of $1

AIM: To retrospectively analyze the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearances of primary clear cell carcinoma of the liver (PCCCL) and compare the imaging appearances of PCCCL and common type hepatocellular carcinoma (CHCC) to determine whether any differences exist between the two groups. METHODS: Twenty cases with pathologically proven PCCCL and 127 cases with CHCC in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were included in this study. CT or MRI images from these patients were retrospectively analyzed. The following imaging findings were reviewed: the presence of liver cirrhosis, tumor size, the enhancement pattern on dynamic contrast scanning, the presence of pseudo capsules, tumor rupture, portal vein thrombosis and lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: Both PCCCL and CHCC were prone to occur in patients with liver cirrhosis, the association rate of liver cirrhosis was 80.0% and 78.7%, respectively (P > 0.05). The mean sizes of PCCCL and CHCC tumors were (7.28 ± 4.25) cm and (6.96 ± 3.98) cm, respectively. Small HCCs were found in 25.0% (5/20) of PCCCL and 19.7% (25/127) of CHCC cases. No significant differences in mean size and ratio of small HCCs were found between the two groups (P = 0.658 and 0.803, respectively). Compared with CHCC patients, PCCCL patients were more prone to form pseudo capsules (49.6% vs 75.0%, P = 0.034). Tumor rupture, typical HCC enhancement patterns and portal vein tumor thrombosis were detected in 15.0% (3/20), 72.2% (13/18) and 20.0% (4/20) of patients with PCCCL and 3.1% (4/127), 83.6% (97/116) and 17.3% (22/127) of patients with CHCC, respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups (all P > 0.05). No patients with PCCCL and 2.4% (3/127) of patients with CHCC showed signs of lymph node metastasis (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The imaging characteristics of PCCCL are similar to those of CHCC and could be useful for differentiating these from other liver tumors (such

Computed tomography (CT) scanning has recently been introduced into forensic medicine and dentistry. However, the presence of metal restorations in the dentition can adversely affect the quality of three-dimensional reconstruction from CTscans. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the reproducibility of a "high-precision, reconstructed 3D model" obtained from a conebeam CTscan of dentition, a method that might be particularly helpful in forensic medicine. We took conebeam CT and helical CT images of three dry skulls marked with 47 measuring points; reconstructed three-dimensional images; and measured the distances between the points in the 3D images with a computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) marker. We found that in comparison with the helical CT, conebeam CT is capable of reproducing measurements closer to those obtained from the actual samples. In conclusion, our study indicated that the image-reproduction from a conebeam CTscan was more accurate than that from a helical CTscan. Furthermore, the "high-precision reconstructed 3D model" facilitates reliable visualization of full-sized oral and maxillofacial regions in both helical and conebeam CTscans.

A retrospective study of 27 patients with pancreatic carcinoma compared computed tomography (CT) and angiography in their ability to predict resectability of the neoplasm, using encasement of the splanchnic vessels as the criterion for nonresectability. Five patients had resectable tumor at surgery; the other 22 had unresectable disease. Tumor involvement of the splanchnic vessels was determined in 18 patients by CT examination and in 19 patients by angiography. Several other patients were found to have liver metastases, resulting in a radiologic diagnosis of nonresectability in 20 patients overall. All patients considered to have unresectable disease on the basis of either radiologic method proved to have unresectable tumor at surgery. CT is about as accurate as angiography in assessing resectability of pancreatic carcinoma.

We recently reported an increase in dicentric chromosome (DIC) formation after a single computed tomography (CT) scan (5.78–60.27 mSv: mean 24.24 mSv) and we recommended analysis of 2000 metaphase cells stained with Giemsa and centromere-FISH for dicentric chromosome assay (DCA) in cases of low-dose radiation exposure. In the present study, we analyzed the frequency of chromosome translocations using stored Carnoy's-fixed lymphocyte specimens from the previous study; these specimens were from 12 patients who were subject to chromosome painting of Chromosomes 1, 2 and 4. Chromosomes 1, 2 and 4 were analyzed in ∼5000 cells, which is equivalent to the whole-genome analysis of almost 2000 cells. The frequency of chromosome translocation was higher than the number of DICs formed, both before and after CTscanning. The frequency of chromosome translocations tended to be higher, but not significantly higher, in patients with a treatment history compared with patients without such a history. However, in contrast to the results for DIC formation, the frequency of translocations detected before and after the CTscan did not differ significantly. Therefore, analysis of chromosome translocation may not be a suitable assay for detecting chromosome aberrations in cases of low-dose radiation exposure from a CTscan. A significant increase in the frequency of chromosome translocations was not likely to be detected due to the high baseline before the CTscan; the high and variable frequency of translocations was probably due to multiple confounding factors in adults. PMID:26874116

We recently reported an increase in dicentric chromosome (DIC) formation after a single computed tomography (CT) scan (5.78-60.27 mSv: mean 24.24 mSv) and we recommended analysis of 2000 metaphase cells stained with Giemsa and centromere-FISH for dicentric chromosome assay (DCA) in cases of low-dose radiation exposure. In the present study, we analyzed the frequency of chromosome translocations using stored Carnoy's-fixed lymphocyte specimens from the previous study; these specimens were from 12 patients who were subject to chromosome painting of Chromosomes 1, 2 and 4. Chromosomes 1, 2 and 4 were analyzed in ∼5000 cells, which is equivalent to the whole-genome analysis of almost 2000 cells. The frequency of chromosome translocation was higher than the number of DICs formed, both before and after CTscanning. The frequency of chromosome translocations tended to be higher, but not significantly higher, in patients with a treatment history compared with patients without such a history. However, in contrast to the results for DIC formation, the frequency of translocations detected before and after the CTscan did not differ significantly. Therefore, analysis of chromosome translocation may not be a suitable assay for detecting chromosome aberrations in cases of low-dose radiation exposure from a CTscan. A significant increase in the frequency of chromosome translocations was not likely to be detected due to the high baseline before the CTscan; the high and variable frequency of translocations was probably due to multiple confounding factors in adults.

In the summer of 2009, we began full body computed tomography (CT) scanning of the pre-embalmed cadavers in the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS) dissection lab. We theorized that implementing web-based, self-guided clinical cases based on postmortem CT (PMCT) scans would result in increased student appreciation for the clinical relevance of anatomy, increased knowledge of cross-sectional anatomy, and increased ability to identify common pathologies on CTscans. The PMCT scan of each cadaver was produced as a DICOM dataset, and then converted into a Quicktime movie file using Osirix software. Clinical cases were researched and written by the authors, and consist of at least one Quicktime movie of a PMCT scan surrounded by a novel navigation interface. To assess the value of these clinical cases we surveyed medical students at UMMS who are currently using the clinical cases in their coursework. Students felt the clinical cases increased the clinical relevance of anatomy (mean response 7.77/10), increased their confidence finding anatomical structures on CT (7.00/10), and increased their confidence recognizing common pathologies on CT (6.17/10). Students also felt these clinical cases helped them synthesize material from numerous courses into an overall picture of a given disease process (7.01/10). These results support the conclusion that our clinical cases help to show students why the anatomy they are learning is foundational to their other coursework. We would recommend the use of similar clinical cases to any medical school utilizing cadaver dissection as a primary teaching method in anatomy education.

This Special Report presents the consensus of the Summit on Management of Radiation Dose in Computed Tomography (CT) (held in February 2011), which brought together participants from academia, clinical practice, industry, and regulatory and funding agencies to identify the steps required to reduce the effective dose from routine CT examinations to less than 1 mSv. The most promising technologies and methods discussed at the summit include innovations and developments in x-ray sources; detectors; and image reconstruction, noise reduction, and postprocessing algorithms. Access to raw projection data and standard data sets for algorithm validation and optimization is a clear need, as is the need for new, clinically relevant metrics of image quality and diagnostic performance. Current commercially available techniques such as automatic exposure control, optimization of tube potential, beam-shaping filters, and dynamic z-axis collimators are important, and education to successfully implement these methods routinely is critically needed. Other methods that are just becoming widely available, such as iterative reconstruction, noise reduction, and postprocessing algorithms, will also have an important role. Together, these existing techniques can reduce dose by a factor of two to four. Technical advances that show considerable promise for additional dose reduction but are several years or more from commercial availability include compressed sensing, volume of interest and interior tomography techniques, and photon-counting detectors. This report offers a strategic roadmap for the CT user and research and manufacturer communities toward routinely achieving effective doses of less than 1 mSv, which is well below the average annual dose from naturally occurring sources of radiation.

CTscans allow for the quantitative evaluation of the anatomical bases of emphysema. Recently, a non-density based geometric measurement of lung diagphragm curvature has been proposed as a method for the quantification of emphysema from CT. This work analyzes variability of diaphragm curvature and evaluates the effectiveness of a compensation methodology for the reduction of this variability as compared to emphysema index. Using a dataset of 43 scan-pairs with less than a 100 day time-interval between scans, we find that the diaphragm curvature had a trend towards lower overall variability over emphysema index (95% CI:-9.7 to + 14.7 vs. -15.8 to +12.0), and that the variation of both measures was reduced after compensation. We conclude that the variation of the new measure can be considered comparable to the established measure and the compensation can reduce the apparent variation of quantitative measures successfully.

Background Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most prevalent autosomal recessive disease in the Caucasian population. A cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator knockout (CFTR-/-) pig that displays most of the features of the human CF disease has been recently developed. However, CFTR-/- pigs presents a 100% prevalence of meconium ileus that leads to death in the first hours after birth, requiring a rapid diagnosis and surgical intervention to relieve intestinal obstruction. Identification of CFTR-/- piglets is usually performed by PCR genotyping, a procedure that lasts between 4 to 6 h. Here, we aimed to develop a procedure for rapid identification of CFTR-/- piglets that will allow placing them under intensive care soon after birth and immediately proceeding with the surgical correction. Methods and Principal Findings Male and female CFTR+/- pigs were crossed and the progeny was examined by computed tomography (CT) scan to detect the presence of meconium ileus and facilitate a rapid post-natal surgical intervention. Genotype was confirmed by PCR. CTscan presented a 94.4% sensitivity to diagnose CFTR-/- piglets. Diagnosis by CTscan reduced the birth-to-surgery time from a minimum of 10 h down to a minimum of 2.5 h and increased the survival of CFTR-/- piglets to a maximum of 13 days post-surgery as opposed to just 66 h after later surgery. Conclusion CTscan imaging of meconium ileus is an accurate method for rapid identification of CFTR-/- piglets. Early CT detection of meconium ileus may help to extend the lifespan of CFTR-/- piglets and, thus, improve experimental research on CF, still an incurable disease. PMID:26600426

We propose a fast and robust registration method for matching lung nodules of temporal chest CTscans. Our method is composed of four stages. First, the lungs are extracted from chest CTscans by the automatic segmentation method. Second, the gross translational mismatch is corrected by the optimal cube registration. This initial registration does not require extracting any anatomical landmarks. Third, initial alignment is step by step refined by the iterative surface registration. To evaluate the distance measure between surface boundary points, a 3D distance map is generated by the narrow-band distance propagation, which drives fast and robust convergence to the optimal location. Fourth, nodule correspondences are established by the pairs with the smallest Euclidean distances. The results of pulmonary nodule alignment of twenty patients are reported on a per-center-of mass point basis using the average Euclidean distance (AED) error between corresponding nodules of initial and follow-up scans. The average AED error of twenty patients is significantly reduced to 4.7mm from 30.0mm by our registration. Experimental results show that our registration method aligns the lung nodules much faster than the conventional ones using a distance measure. Accurate and fast result of our method would be more useful for the radiologist's evaluation of pulmonary nodules on chest CTscans.

Objective: To analyze the clinical value of SPECT/CT in diagnosis of skull base bone invasion and clinical decision-making for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and to compare their diagnostic value with SPECT/CT, CT, MRI, and MRI combined with SPECT (MRI-SPECT) for skull base bone invasion. Methods: Before treatment, among 348 newly diagnosed NPC patients, CTscan was performed in 186 patients (group A) and the remaining 162 patients received MRI scan (group B). Clinical doctors then made clinical management decisions according to the CT or MRI results. After that, all patients underwent (99)Tc(m)-MDP SPECT/CT examination for nasopharyngeal local tomography, and the results were provided to the clinical doctors to make clinical management decisions again. The changes between the two clinical management decisions were scored according to diagnosis, range of lesion, staging, treatment regimens, and auxiliary examination. The diagnostic value of CTscan, MRI scan, SPECT/CT and MRI-SPECT for skull base bone invasion was then evaluated and compared. Results: In terms of changes in scores of clinical management decisions, the score of group A was 1.387 and group B was 0.951, showing a significant difference between the two groups by Wilcoxon test (Z=6.570, P<0.001). By χ(2) test, there were correlations between CT and SPECT/CT (χ(2) =98.495, P<0.001), and between MRI and SPECT/CT (χ(2) =32.662, P<0.001). The consistency of CT and SPECT/CT (Kappa=0.713) was greater than MRI and SPECT (Kappa=0.449). The sensitivity of CT, MRI, SPECT/CT and MRI-SPECT was 67.1%, 84.5%, 90.8% and 100%, the specificity was 73.3%, 92.3%, 85.6% and 84.6%, and the area under the ROC curve was 0.702, 0.884, 0.882 and 0.923, respectively. Conclusions: SPECT/CT has important impact on clinical management decision for NPC. In the judgement of skull base invasion, the diagnostic value of SPECT/CT is significantly higher than CT and approximately equal to MRI. SPECT/CT should be one of the routine

The aim of this article is to find a correlation between height and femur/skull measurements through Computed Tomography (CT) scans and derive regression equations for total skeletal height estimation in the Caucasian population. We selected 200 Caucasian patients from March 2010 to July 2011 who had to perform a CTscan for cancer restaging. The mean age is 64.5 years. Both sexes are represented by the same number of persons. Patients have executed a total body CTscan with contrast; once scan accomplished, we measured height through a digital scales. We analyzed CTscans of each patient, obtaining multiplanar reconstruction in sagittal and coronal planes with 1mm of thickness, and we measured 10 diameters of skull and femur. Then we performed a single and a multiple regression analysis considering the three diameters that better correlated with height. The skeletal diameters with the highest correlation coefficients with stature were femur lengths, length of cranial base (Ba-N), and distance from the posterior extremity of the cranial base to the inferior point of the nasal bone (Ba-NB). Although both femur and skull are skeletal segments used for stature estimation, in our sample femur gave stronger correlation with height than skull. h=35.7+1.48·BaN+2.32·BaNB+2.53·FEM and h=3.06·FEM+72.6 are the formulae that provided the most accurate stature assessment using multiple and single regression analysis respectively.

Non-destructive techniques of core analysis, especially of marine cores, are being broadly employed for sedimentary, paleoceanographic and paleoclimate research. In particular, Computed Tomography scanning (CT-scanning) allows acquisition of 3D and 2D images, according to desired planes, and thus the identification of sedimentary structures, large grains and their distributions as well as direct measurements of material densities. The most significant contribution of this technique is the possibility of getting results before opening the core. In this work CT-scan data obtained for five cores from the Galicia Interior Basin (GIB, NW Peninsula Iberia) are presented and discussed, focussing on (1) methodology of the CT-scan use, (2) tomographic description of sedimentary facies identified in the GIB, (3) treatment of the numeric data obtained with CT-scanning using specific software (anidoC), and (4) comparison of tomographic data with data obtained by conventional methodologies of core analysis. The most singular feature of GIB cores is the presence of Ice Rafted Debris (IRD) deposited during late Pleistocene Heinrich Events (HE), which can be easily recognized using the CT-scan by the presence of high radio-density grains immersed in a low radio-density matrix. Comparison of CT-scan data with analytical sedimentary data and HE proxies performed on the cores validates the CT-scanning method as a powerful tool to improve correlations, identify well-constrained events, and make more accurate basin reconstructions without opening all the cores in an oceanographic study.

The (18)F-FDG PET/CTscan has been suggested for whole-body imaging to identify ectopic adrenocorticotrophic hormone secreting tumours, but there are some challenges involved. The case of a patient is presented, who was admitted with the pre-diagnosis of ectopic ACTH syndrome. On the CT, a nodular lesion was detected in the medial segment of the right lung. The FDG uptake of the lesion seemed to be increased visually, but was not pathological quantitatively (SUVmax: 1.8) on the PET/CT. There was also diffuse increased uptake (SUVmax: 14.2) in the enlarged adrenal glands. The lesion was reported as a possible malignant lesion with low FDG affinity, such as a low grade neuroendocrine tumour, while the diffuse enlarged adrenal glands with high uptake were interpreted as diffusely hyperplasic, due to Cushing's syndrome. The patient was treated with a surgical wedge resection. The histopathological diagnosis confirmed that the tumour was a grade 1 well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma.

... type of contrast given into a vein contains iodine. If you have an iodine allergy, a type of contrast may cause nausea ... steroids before the test. Your kidneys help remove iodine from the body. You may need to receive ...

Purpose: The conventional dual energy CT (DECT) requires two full CTscans at different energy levels, resulting in dose increase as well as imaging errors from patient motion between the two scans. To shorten the scan time of DECT and thus overcome these drawbacks, we propose a new DECT algorithm using one full scan and a second scan with very few projections by preserving structural information. Methods: We first reconstruct a CT image on the full scan using a standard filtered-backprojection (FBP) algorithm. We then use a compressed sensing (CS) based iterative algorithm on the second scan for reconstruction from very few projections. The edges extracted from the first scan are used as weights in the Objectives: function of the CS-based reconstruction to substantially improve the image quality of CT reconstruction. The basis material images are then obtained by an iterative image-domain decomposition method and an electron density map is finally calculated. The proposed method is evaluated on phantoms. Results: On the Catphan 600 phantom, the CT reconstruction mean error using the proposed method on 20 and 5 projections are 4.76% and 5.02%, respectively. Compared with conventional iterative reconstruction, the proposed edge weighting preserves object structures and achieves a better spatial resolution. With basis materials of Iodine and Teflon, our method on 20 projections obtains similar quality of decomposed material images compared with FBP on a full scan and the mean error of electron density in the selected regions of interest is 0.29%. Conclusion: We propose an effective method for reducing projections and therefore scan time in DECT. We show that a full scan plus a 20-projection scan are sufficient to provide DECT images and electron density with similar quality compared with two full scans. Our future work includes more phantom studies to validate the performance of our method.

A patient with longstanding agnogenic myeloid metaplasia developed a progressive dementia. CTscanning demonstrated multiple intracranial masses, and a Fe/sub 52/ bone marrow scan demonstrated erythroid activity within the masses and confirmed the suspicion of extra-medullary hematopoiesis. A potentially hazardous biopsy was avoided, and a course of cranial irradiation was administered, resulting in regression of the masses and clearing of the patient's dementia. Fe/sub 52/ scintigraphy provides a specific and useful diagnostic approach which may eliminate the need for invasive procedures.

Background Cerebral edema is one physical change associated with brain injury and decreased survival after cardiac arrest. Edema appears on computed tomography (CT) scan of the brain as decreased x-ray attenuation by gray matter. This study tested whether the gray matter attenuation to white matter attenuation ratio (GWR) was associated with survival and functional recovery. Methods Subjects were patients hospitalized after cardiac arrest at a single institution between 1/1/2005 and 7/30/2010. Subjects were included if they had non-traumatic cardiac arrest and a non-contrast CTscan within 24 hours after cardiac arrest. Attenuation (Hounsfield Units) was measured in gray matter (caudate nucleus, putamen, thalamus, and cortex) and in white matter (internal capsule, corpus callosum and centrum semiovale). The GWR was calculated for basal ganglia and cerebrum. Outcomes included survival and functional status at hospital discharge. Results For 680 patients, 258 CTscans were available, but 18 were excluded because of hemorrhage (10), intravenous contrast (3) or technical artifact (5), leaving 240 CTscans for analysis. Lower GWR values were associated with lower initial Glasgow Coma Scale motor score. Overall survival was 36%, but decreased with decreasing GWR. The average of basal ganglia and cerebrum GWR provided the best discrimination. Only 2/58 subjects with average GWR<1.20 survived and both were treated with hypothermia. The association of GWR with functional outcome was completely explained by mortality when GWR<1.20. Conclusions Subjects with severe cerebral edema, defined by GWR<1.20, have very low survival with conventional care, including hypothermia. GWR estimates pre-treatment likelihood of survival after cardiac arrest. PMID:21592642

We report a 62-year-old man who presented with pain on the right side of his hip. CT revealed destructive masses in the right femur and left ilium. Histological examination indicated metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma, and further investigations revealed the primary tumor in the liver. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy using 99mTc N-pyrydoxyl-5-methyltryptophan and fused SPECT/CT clearly showed abnormal accumulation in these bone metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma.

We designed a generic method for segmenting the aneurismal sac of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) both from multi-slice MR and CT-scan examinations. It is a semi-automatic method requiring little human intervention and based on graph cut theory to segment the lumen interface and the aortic wall of AAAs. Our segmentation method works independently on MRI and CT-scan volumes and has been tested on a 44 patient dataset and 10 synthetic images. Segmentation and maximum diameter estimation were compared to manual tracing from 4 experts. An inter-observer study was performed in order to measure the variability range of a human observer. Based on three metrics (the maximum aortic diameter, the volume overlap and the Hausdorff distance) the variability of the results obtained by our method is shown to be similar to that of a human operator, both for the lumen interface and the aortic wall. As will be shown, the average distance obtained with our method is less than one standard deviation away from each expert, both for healthy subjects and for patients with AAA. Our semi-automatic method provides reliable contours of the abdominal aorta from CT-scan or MRI, allowing rapid and reproducible evaluations of AAA.

To gain insight into the underlying pathways of emphysema and monitor the effect of treatment, methods to quantify and phenotype the different types of emphysema from chest CTscans are of crucial importance. Current standard measures rely on density thresholds for individual voxels, which is influenced by inspiration level and does not take into account the spatial relationship between voxels. Measures based on texture analysis do take the interrelation between voxels into account and therefore might be useful for distinguishing different types of emphysema. In this study, we propose to use Minkowski functionals combined with rotation invariant Gaussian features to distinguish between healthy and emphysematous tissue and classify three different types of emphysema. Minkowski functionals characterize binary images in terms of geometry and topology. In 3D, four Minkowski functionals are defined. By varying the threshold and size of neighborhood around a voxel, a set of Minkowski functionals can be defined for each voxel. Ten chest CTscans with 1810 annotated regions were used to train the method. A set of 108 features was calculated for each training sample from which 10 features were selected to be most informative. A linear discriminant classifier was trained to classify each voxel in the lungs into a subtype of emphysema or normal lung. The method was applied to an independent test set of 30 chest CTscans with varying amounts and types of emphysema with 4347 annotated regions of interest. The method is shown to perform well, with an overall accuracy of 95%.

Noninvasive determination of plaque vulnerability has been a holy grail of medical imaging. Despite advances in tomographic technologies , there is currently no effective way to identify vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques with high sensitivity and specificity. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are widely used, but neither provides sufficient information of plaque properties. Thus, we are motivated to combine CT and MRI imaging to determine if the composite information can better reflect the histological determination of plaque vulnerability. Two human endarterectomy specimens (1 symptomatic carotid and 1 stable femoral) were imaged using Scanco Medical Viva CT40 and Bruker Pharmascan 16cm 7T Horizontal MRI / MRS systems. μCTscans were done at 55 kVp and tube current of 70 mA. Samples underwent RARE-VTR and MSME pulse sequences to measure T1, T2 values, and proton density. The specimens were processed for histology and scored for vulnerability using the American Heart Association criteria. Single modality-based analyses were performed through segmentation of key imaging biomarkers (i.e. calcification and lumen), image registration, measurement of fibrous capsule, and multi-component T1 and T2 decay modeling. Feature differences were analyzed between the unstable and stable controls, symptomatic carotid and femoral plaque, respectively. By building on the techniques used in this study, synergistic CT+MRI analysis may provide a promising solution for plaque characterization in vivo.

Purpose: Conventional dual energy CT (DECT) reconstructs CT and basis material images from two full-size projection datasets with different energy spectra. To relax the data requirement, we propose an iterative DECT reconstruction algorithm using one full scan and a second sparse-view scan by utilizing redundant structural information of the same object acquired at two different energies. Methods: We first reconstruct a full-scanCT image using filtered-backprojection (FBP) algorithm. The material similarities of each pixel with other pixels are calculated by an exponential function about pixel value differences. We assume that the material similarities of pixels remains in the second CTscan, although pixel values may vary. An iterative method is designed to reconstruct the second CT image from reduced projections. Under the data fidelity constraint, the algorithm minimizes the L2 norm of the difference between pixel value and its estimation, which is the average of other pixel values weighted by their similarities. The proposed algorithm, referred to as structure preserving iterative reconstruction (SPIR), is evaluated on physical phantoms. Results: On the Catphan600 phantom, SPIR-based DECT method with a second 10-view scan reduces the noise standard deviation of a full-scan FBP CT reconstruction by a factor of 4 with well-maintained spatial resolution, while iterative reconstruction using total-variation regularization (TVR) degrades the spatial resolution at the same noise level. The proposed method achieves less than 1% measurement difference on electron density map compared with the conventional two-full-scan DECT. On an anthropomorphic pediatric phantom, our method successfully reconstructs the complicated vertebra structures and decomposes bone and soft tissue. Conclusion: We develop an effective method to reduce the number of views and therefore data acquisition in DECT. We show that SPIR-based DECT using one full scan and a second 10-view scan can

OBJECTIVES: Refractory epilepsies (RE), as well as, the surgically correctable syndromes, are of great interest, since they affect the very young population of children and adolescents. The early diagnosis and treatment are very important in preventing the psychosocial disability. Therefore MRI and EEG are highly sensitive methods in the diagnosis and localization of epileptogenic focus, but also in pre-surgical evaluation of these patients. The aim of our study is to correlate the imaging findings of EEG, MRI and CTscan in refractory symptomatic epilepsies, and to determine their specificity in detecting the epileptogenic focus. METHODS: The study was prospective with duration of over two years, open-labelled, and involved a group of 37 patients that had been evaluated and diagnosed as refractory epilepsy patients. In the evaluation the type and frequency of seizures were considered, together with the etiologic factors and their association, and finally the risk for developing refractory epilepsy was weighted. EEG and MRI findings and CTscan results were evaluated for their specificity and sensitivity in detecting the epileptogenic focus, and the correlation between them was analyzed. RESULTS: Regarding the type of seizures considered in our study, the patients with PCS (partial complex seizures) dominated, as opposed to those with generalized seizures (GS) (D=1.178, p < 0.05). Positive MRI findings were registered in 28 patients (75.7%). Most of them were patients with hippocampal sclerosis, 12 (42.8%), and also they were found to have the highest risk of developing refractory epilepsy (RE) (Odds ratio = 5.7), and the highest association between the etiologic factor and refractory epilepsy (p < 0.01). In detecting the epileptogenic focus, a significant difference was found (p < 0.01) between MRI and CTscan findings, especially in patients with hippocampal sclerosis and cerebral malformations. There was a strong correlation between the MRI findings and the

Parsing volumetric computed tomography (CT) into 10 or more salient organs simultaneously is a challenging task with many applications such as personalized scan planning and dose reporting. In the clinic, pre-scan data can come in the form of very low dose volumes acquired just prior to the primary scan or from an existing primary scan. To localize organs in such diverse data, we propose a new learning based framework that we call hierarchical pictorial structures (HPS) which builds multiple levels of models in a tree-like hierarchy that mirrors the natural decomposition of human anatomy from gross structures to finer structures. Each node of our hierarchical model learns (1) the local appearance and shape of structures, and (2) a generative global model that learns probabilistic, structural arrangement. Our main contribution is twofold. First we embed the pictorial structures approach in a hierarchical framework which reduces test time image interpretation and allows for the incorporation of additional geometric constraints that robustly guide model fitting in the presence of noise. Second we guide our HPS framework with the probabilistic cost maps extracted using random decision forests using volumetric 3D HOG features which makes our model fast to train and fast to apply to novel test data and posses a high degree of invariance to shape distortion and imaging artifacts. All steps require approximate 3 mins to compute and all organs are located with suitably high accuracy for our clinical applications such as personalized scan planning for radiation dose reduction. We assess our method using a database of volumetric CTscans from 81 subjects with widely varying age and pathology and with simulated ultra-low dose cadaver pre-scan data.

In this editorial comment, the author presents a review of recent achievements in the diagnosis and treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx. The value of the use of CTscans for differentiating between cranial nerve involvement by recurring tumors and irradiation neuropathy, and between temporal lobe irradiation encephalopathy and other nonneoplastic neurologic disorders and meningeal metastasis is discussed. Magnetic resonance imaging is said to be superior to CT for finding soft tissue involvement or abnormalities in the brain. 13 references.

Introduction The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the influence of different variables on radiation dose and image quality based on a national database. Materials and Methods Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare requested all radiology departments to complete a questionnaire for each of their CT scanners. Information gathered included all scanning parameters for CT head scans. For the present analysis, CT machines were divided into three subgroups: single slice CT (Group A); multi-detector CT (MDCT) with 2-64 slices (Group B); and MDCT with more than 64 slices (Group C). Correlations between computed tomography dose index (CTDI) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) with cumulated tube rotation number (CTW(n)) and cumulated tube rotation time (CTW(s)), and sub group analyses of CTDI and SNR across the three groups were performed. Results CTDI values demonstrated a weak correlation (r = 0.33) with CTW(n) in Group A. SNR values demonstrated a weak negative correlation (r = -0.46) with CTW(n) in Group C. MDCT with higher slice numbers used more tube potential resulting in higher effective doses. There were both significantly lower CTDI and SNR values in helical mode than in axial mode in Group B, but not Group C. Conclusion CTW(n) and CTW(s) did not influence radiation output. Helical mode is more often used in MDCT and results in both lower CTDI and SNR compared to axial mode in MDCT with less than 64 slices. PMID:26125549

The goal of this study is to develop a generalized source model for accurate Monte Carlo dose simulations of CTscans based solely on the measurement data without a priori knowledge of scanner specifications. The proposed generalized source model consists of an extended circular source located at x-ray target level with its energy spectrum, source distribution and fluence distribution derived from a set of measurement data conveniently available in the clinic. Specifically, the central axis percent depth dose (PDD) curves measured in water and the cone output factors measured in air were used to derive the energy spectrum and the source distribution respectively with a Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm. The in-air film measurement of fan-beam dose profiles at fixed gantry was back-projected to generate the fluence distribution of the source model. A benchmarked Monte Carlo user code was used to simulate the dose distributions in water with the developed source model as beam input. The feasibility and accuracy of the proposed source model was tested on a GE LightSpeed and a Philips Brilliance Big Bore multi-detector CT (MDCT) scanners available in our clinic. In general, the Monte Carlo simulations of the PDDs in water and dose profiles along lateral and longitudinal directions agreed with the measurements within 4%/1 mm for both CT scanners. The absolute dose comparison using two CTDI phantoms (16 cm and 32 cm in diameters) indicated a better than 5% agreement between the Monte Carlo-simulated and the ion chamber-measured doses at a variety of locations for the two scanners. Overall, this study demonstrated that a generalized source model can be constructed based only on a set of measurement data and used for accurate Monte Carlo dose simulations of patients’ CTscans, which would facilitate patient-specific CT organ dose estimation and cancer risk management in the diagnostic and therapeutic radiology.

An automated method is being developed in order to identify corresponding nodules in serial thoracic CTscans for interval change analysis. The method uses the rib centerlines as the reference for initial nodule registration. A spatially adaptive rib segmentation method first locates the regions where the ribs join the spine, which define the starting locations for rib tracking. Each rib is tracked and locally segmented by expectation-maximization. The ribs are automatically labeled, and the centerlines are estimated using skeletonization. For a given nodule in the source scan, the closest three ribs are identified. A three-dimensional (3D) rigid affine transformation guided by simplex optimization aligns the centerlines of each of the three rib pairs in the source and target CT volumes. Automatically defined control points along the centerlines of the three ribs in the source scan and the registered ribs in the target scan are used to guide an initial registration using a second 3D rigid affine transformation. A search volume of interest (VOI) is then located in the target scan. Nodule candidate locations within the search VOI are identified as regions with high Hessian responses. The initial registration is refined by searching for the maximum cross-correlation between the nodule template from the source scan and the candidate locations. The method was evaluated on 48 CTscans from 20 patients. Experienced radiologists identified 101 pairs of corresponding nodules. Three metrics were used for performance evaluation. The first metric was the Euclidean distance between the nodule centers identified by the radiologist and the computer registration, the second metric was a volume overlap measure between the nodule VOIs identified by the radiologist and the computer registration, and the third metric was the hit rate, which measures the fraction of nodules whose centroid computed by the computer registration in the target scan falls within the VOI identified by the

Computed tomography-guided radiofrequency ablation (CT-RFA) and laparoscopic RFA (L-RFA) have been used to treat intrahepatic recurrent small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) against the diaphragmatic dome. However, the therapeutic safety, efficacy, and hospital fee have never been compared between the two techniques due to scarcity of cases. In this retrospective study, 116 patients were divided into two groups with a total of 151 local recurrent HCC lesions abutting the diaphragm. We compared overall survival (OS), local tumor progression (LTP), postoperative complications, and hospital stay and fee between the two groups. Our findings revealed no significant differences in 5-year OS (36.7% vs. 44.6%, p = 0.4289) or 5-year LTP (73.3% vs. 67.9%, p = 0.8897) between CT-RFA and L-RFA. The overall hospital stay (2.8 days vs. 4.1 days, p CT-RFA in comparison to that of L-RFA. In addition, we elaborated on the choice of percutaneous puncture paths depending on the locations of the HCC nodules and 11-year experience with CT-RFA. In conclusion, CT-RFA is a relatively easy and economic technique for recurrent small HCC abutting the diaphragm, and both CT-RFA and L-RFA are effective techniques. PMID:28291254

Computed tomography-guided radiofrequency ablation (CT-RFA) and laparoscopic RFA (L-RFA) have been used to treat intrahepatic recurrent small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) against the diaphragmatic dome. However, the therapeutic safety, efficacy, and hospital fee have never been compared between the two techniques due to scarcity of cases. In this retrospective study, 116 patients were divided into two groups with a total of 151 local recurrent HCC lesions abutting the diaphragm. We compared overall survival (OS), local tumor progression (LTP), postoperative complications, and hospital stay and fee between the two groups. Our findings revealed no significant differences in 5-year OS (36.7% vs. 44.6%, p = 0.4289) or 5-year LTP (73.3% vs. 67.9%, p = 0.8897) between CT-RFA and L-RFA. The overall hospital stay (2.8 days vs. 4.1 days, p CT-RFA in comparison to that of L-RFA. In addition, we elaborated on the choice of percutaneous puncture paths depending on the locations of the HCC nodules and 11-year experience with CT-RFA. In conclusion, CT-RFA is a relatively easy and economic technique for recurrent small HCC abutting the diaphragm, and both CT-RFA and L-RFA are effective techniques.

A new CT collimator is developed which is capable of producing two simultaneous successive overlapping images from a single scan. The collimator represents a modification of the standard EMI 5005 collimator achieved by alternately masking one end or portions of both ends of the X-ray detectors at a 13-mm beamwidth so that a set of 540 filtered projections is obtained for each scan which can be separated into two sets of interleaved projections corresponding to views 3 mm apart. Tests have demonstrated that the quality of the images produced from these two projections almost equals the quality of those produced by the standard collimator from two separate scans. The new collimator may thus be used to achieve a speed improvement in the generation of overlapping sections as well as a reduction in X-ray dosage.

Children are at greater risk of radiation exposure than adults because the rapidly dividing cells of children tend to be more radiosensitive and they have a longer expected life time in which to develop potential radiation injury. Some studies have surveyed computed tomography (CT) radiation doses and several studies have established diagnostic reference levels according to patient age or body size; however, no survey of CT radiation doses with a large number of patients has yet been carried out in South Korea. The aim of the present study was to investigate the radiation dose in pediatric CT examinations performed throughout South Korea. From 512 CT (222 brain CT, 105 chest CT, and 185 abdominopelvic CT) scans that were referred to our tertiary hospital, a dose report sheet was available for retrospective analysis of CTscan protocols and dose, including the volumetric CT dose index (CTDIvol), dose-length product (DLP), effective dose, and size-specific dose estimates (SSDE). At 55.2%, multiphase CT was the most frequently performed protocol for abdominopelvic CT. Tube current modulation was applied most often in abdominopelvic CT and chest CT, accounting for 70.1% and 62.7%, respectively. Regarding the CT dose, the interquartile ranges of the CTDIvol were 11.1 to 22.5 (newborns), 16.6 to 39.1 (≤1 year), 14.6 to 41.7 (2-5 years), 23.5 to 44.1 (6-10 years), and 31.4 to 55.3 (≤15 years) for brain CT; 1.3 to 5.7 (≤1 year), 3.9 to 6.8 (2-5 years), 3.9 to 9.3 (6-10 years), and 7.7 to 13.8 (≤15 years) for chest CT; and 4.0 to 7.5 (≤1 year), 4.2 to 8.9 (2-5 years), 5.7 to 12.4 (6-10 years), and 7.6 to 16.6 (≤15 years) for abdominopelvic CT. The SSDE and CTDIvol were well correlated for patients <5 years old, whereas the CTDIvol was lower in patients ≥6 years old. Our study describes the various parameters and dosimetry metrics of pediatric CT in South Korea. The CTDIvol, DLP, and effective dose were generally lower than in German and UK surveys, except in

Background Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is defined by liver dysfunction, intrapulmonary vascular dilatations, and impaired oxygenation. The gold standard for detection of intrapulmonary vascular dilatations in HPS is contrast echocardiography. However, two small studies have suggested that patients with HPS have larger segmental pulmonary arterial diameters than both normal subjects and normoxemic subjects with cirrhosis, when measured by CT. We sought to compare CT imaging-based pulmonary vasodilatation in patients with HPS, patients with liver dysfunction without HPS, and matching controls on CT imaging. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study at two quaternary care Canadian HPS centers. We analyzed CT thorax scans in 23 patients with HPS, 29 patients with liver dysfunction without HPS, and 52 gender- and age-matched controls. We measured the artery-bronchus ratios (ABRs) in upper and lower lung zones, calculated the “delta ABR” by subtracting the upper from the lower ABR, compared these measurements between groups, and correlated them with clinically relevant parameters (partial pressure of arterial oxygen, alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient, macroaggregated albumin shunt fraction, and diffusion capacity). We repeated measurements in patients with post-transplant CTs. Results Patients had significantly larger lower zone ABRs and delta ABRs than controls (1.20 +/- 0.19 versus 0.98 +/- 0.10, p<0.01; and 0.12 +/- 0.17 versus -0.06 +/- 0.10, p<0.01, respectively). However, there were no significant differences between liver disease patients with and without HPS, nor any significant correlations between CT measurements and clinically relevant parameters. There were no significant changes in ABRs after liver transplantation (14 patients). Conclusions Basilar segmental artery-bronchus ratios are larger in patients with liver disease than in normal controls, but this vasodilatation is no more severe in patients with HPS. CT does not distinguish patients

We report on the design, fabrication, and first tests of a tomographic scanner developed for proton computed tomography (pCT) of head-sized objects. After extensive preclinical testing, pCT is intended to be employed in support of proton therapy treatment planning and pre-treatment verification in patients undergoing particle-beam therapy. The scanner consists of two silicon-strip telescopes that track individual protons before and after the phantom, and a novel multistage scintillation detector that measures a combination of the residual energy and range of the proton, from which we derive the water equivalent path length (WEPL) of the protons in the scanned object. The set of WEPL values and the associated paths of protons passing through the object over a 360° angular scan are processed by an iterative, parallelizable reconstruction algorithm that runs on modern GP-GPU hardware. In order to assess the performance of the scanner, we have performed tests with 200 MeV protons from the synchrotron of the Loma Linda University Medical Center and the IBA cyclotron of the Northwestern Medicine Chicago Proton Center. Our first objective was calibration of the instrument, including tracker channel maps and alignment as well as the WEPL calibration. Then we performed the first CTscans on a series of phantoms. The very high sustained rate of data acquisition, exceeding one million protons per second, allowed a full 360° scan to be completed in less than 10 minutes, and reconstruction of a CATPHAN 404 phantom verified accurate reconstruction of the proton relative stopping power in a variety of materials. PMID:27127307

In the clinical workflow for lung cancer management, the comparison of nodules between CTscans from subsequent visits by a patient is necessary for timely classification of pulmonary nodules into benign and malignant and for analyzing nodule growth and response to therapy. The algorithm described in this paper takes (a) two temporally-separated CTscans, I(1) and I(2), and (b) a series of nodule locations in I(1), and for each location it produces an affine transformation that maps the locations and their immediate neighborhoods from I(1) to I(2). It does this without deformable registration and without initialization by global affine registration. Requiring the nodule locations to be specified in only one volume provides the clinician more flexibility in investigating the condition of the lung. The algorithm uses a combination of feature extraction, indexing, refinement, and decision processes. Together, these processes essentially "recognize" the neighborhoods. We show on lung CTscans that our technique works at near interactive speed and that the median alignment error of 134 nodules is 1.70mm compared to the error 2.14mm of the Diffeomorphic Demons algorithm, and to the error 3.57mm of the global nodule registration with local refinement. We demonstrate on the alignment of 250 nodules, that the algorithm is robust to changes caused by cancer progression and differences in breathing states, scanning procedures, and patient positioning. Our algorithm may be used both for diagnosis and treatment monitoring of lung cancer. Because of the generic design of the algorithm, it might also be used in other applications that require fast and accurate mapping of regions.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease that is characterized by airflow limitation. COPD is clinically diagnosed and monitored using pulmonary function testing (PFT), which measures global inspiration and expiration capabilities of patients and is time-consuming and labor-intensive. It is becoming standard practice to obtain paired inspiration-expiration CTscans of COPD patients. Predicting the PFT results from the CTscans would alleviate the need for PFT testing. It is hypothesized that the change of the trachea during breathing might be an indicator of tracheomalacia in COPD patients and correlate with COPD severity. In this paper, we propose to automatically measure morphological changes in the trachea from paired inspiration and expiration CTscans and investigate the influence on COPD GOLD stage classification. The trachea is automatically segmented and the trachea shape is encoded using the lengths of rays cast from the center of gravity of the trachea. These features are used in a classifier, combined with emphysema scoring, to attempt to classify subjects into their COPD stage. A database of 187 subjects, well distributed over the COPD GOLD stages 0 through 4 was used for this study. The data was randomly divided into training and test set. Using the training scans, a nearest mean classifier was trained to classify the subjects into their correct GOLD stage using either emphysema score, tracheal shape features, or a combination. Combining the proposed trachea shape features with emphysema score, the classification performance into GOLD stages improved with 11% to 51%. In addition, an 80% accuracy was achieved in distinguishing healthy subjects from COPD patients.

We report on the design, fabrication, and first tests of a tomographic scanner developed for proton computed tomography (pCT) of head-sized objects. After extensive preclinical testing, pCT is intended to be employed in support of proton therapy treatment planning and pre-treatment verification in patients undergoing particle-beam therapy. The scanner consists of two silicon-strip telescopes that track individual protons before and after the phantom, and a novel multistage scintillation detector that measures a combination of the residual energy and range of the proton, from which we derive the water equivalent path length (WEPL) of the protons in the scanned object. The set of WEPL values and the associated paths of protons passing through the object over a 360° angular scan are processed by an iterative, parallelizable reconstruction algorithm that runs on modern GP-GPU hardware. In order to assess the performance of the scanner, we have performed tests with 200 MeV protons from the synchrotron of the Loma Linda University Medical Center and the IBA cyclotron of the Northwestern Medicine Chicago Proton Center. Our first objective was calibration of the instrument, including tracker channel maps and alignment as well as the WEPL calibration. Then we performed the first CTscans on a series of phantoms. The very high sustained rate of data acquisition, exceeding one million protons per second, allowed a full 360° scan to be completed in less than 10 minutes, and reconstruction of a CATPHAN 404 phantom verified accurate reconstruction of the proton relative stopping power in a variety of materials.

Purpose: To present a study of radiation dose measurements with a human cadaver scanned on a clinical CT scanner. Methods: Multiple point dose measurements were obtained with high-accuracy Thimble ionization chambers placed inside the stomach, liver, paravertebral gutter, ascending colon, left kidney, and urinary bladder of a human cadaver (183 cm in height and 67.5 kg in weight) whose abdomen/pelvis region was scanned repeatedly with a multidetector row CT. The flat energy response and precision of the dosimeters were verified, and the slight differences in each dosimeter's response were evaluated and corrected to attain high accuracy. In addition, skin doses were measured for radiosensitive organs outside the scanned region with OSL dosimeters: the right eye, thyroid, both nipples, and the right testicle. Three scan protocols were used, which shared most scan parameters but had different kVp and mA settings: 120-kVp automA, 120-kVp 300 mA, and 100-kVp 300 mA. For each protocol three repeated scans were performed. Results: The tube starting angle (TSA) was found to randomly vary around two major conditions, which caused large fluctuations in the repeated point dose measurements: for the 120-kVp 300 mA protocol this angle changed from approximately 110° to 290°, and caused 8% − 25% difference in the point dose measured at the stomach, liver, colon, and urinary bladder. When the fluctuations of the TSA were small (within 5°), the maximum coefficient of variance was approximately 3.3%. The soft tissue absorbed doses averaged from four locations near the center of the scanned region were 27.2 ± 3.3 and 16.5 ± 2.7 mGy for the 120 and 100-kVp fixed-mA scans, respectively. These values were consistent with the corresponding size specific dose estimates within 4%. The comparison of the per-100-mAs tissue doses from the three protocols revealed that: (1) dose levels at nonsuperficial locations in the TCM scans could not be accurately deduced by simply scaling the

Purpose: To present a study of radiation dose measurements with a human cadaver scanned on a clinical CT scanner. Methods: Multiple point dose measurements were obtained with high-accuracy Thimble ionization chambers placed inside the stomach, liver, paravertebral gutter, ascending colon, left kidney, and urinary bladder of a human cadaver (183 cm in height and 67.5 kg in weight) whose abdomen/pelvis region was scanned repeatedly with a multidetector row CT. The flat energy response and precision of the dosimeters were verified, and the slight differences in each dosimeter's response were evaluated and corrected to attain high accuracy. In addition, skin doses were measured for radiosensitive organs outside the scanned region with OSL dosimeters: the right eye, thyroid, both nipples, and the right testicle. Three scan protocols were used, which shared most scan parameters but had different kVp and mA settings: 120-kVp automA, 120-kVp 300 mA, and 100-kVp 300 mA. For each protocol three repeated scans were performed. Results: The tube starting angle (TSA) was found to randomly vary around two major conditions, which caused large fluctuations in the repeated point dose measurements: for the 120-kVp 300 mA protocol this angle changed from approximately 110° to 290°, and caused 8% − 25% difference in the point dose measured at the stomach, liver, colon, and urinary bladder. When the fluctuations of the TSA were small (within 5°), the maximum coefficient of variance was approximately 3.3%. The soft tissue absorbed doses averaged from four locations near the center of the scanned region were 27.2 ± 3.3 and 16.5 ± 2.7 mGy for the 120 and 100-kVp fixed-mA scans, respectively. These values were consistent with the corresponding size specific dose estimates within 4%. The comparison of the per-100-mAs tissue doses from the three protocols revealed that: (1) dose levels at nonsuperficial locations in the TCM scans could not be accurately deduced by simply scaling the

We describe two patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH), presenting with postural headache due to C1-C2 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. Both patients were refractory to lumbar epidural blood patching (EBP), and subsequently underwent successful CTscan-guided cervical EBP. SIH affects approximately 1 in 50,000 patients, with females more frequently affected. Its associated features are variable, and as such, misdiagnosis is common. Therefore, imaging plays an important role in the diagnostic workup of SIH and can include MRI of the brain and spine, CT myelogram, and radionuclide cisternography. In patients with an established diagnosis and confirmed CSF leak, symptoms will usually resolve with conservative management. However, in a select subgroup of patients, the symptoms are refractory to medical management and require more invasive therapies. In patients with cervical leaks, EBP in the cervical region is an effective management approach, either in close proximity to, or directly targeting a dural defect. CTscan-guided cervical EBP is an effective treatment approach in refractory SIH, and should be considered in those patients who are refractory to conservative management.

Purpose: A recently proposed 4D-CT protocol uses deformable registration of free-breathing fast-helical CTscans to generate a breathing motion model. In order to allow accurate registration, free-breathing images are required to be free of doubling-artifacts, which arise when tissue motion is greater than scan speed. This work identifies the minimum scanner parameters required to successfully generate free-breathing fast-helical scans without doubling-artifacts. Methods: 10 patients were imaged under free breathing conditions 25 times in alternating directions with a 64-slice CT scanner using a low dose fast helical protocol. A high temporal resolution (0.1s) 4D-CT was generated using a patient specific motion model and patient breathing waveforms, and used as the input for a scanner simulation. Forward projections were calculated using helical cone-beam geometry (800 projections per rotation) and a GPU accelerated reconstruction algorithm was implemented. Various CT scanner detector widths and rotation times were simulated, and verified using a motion phantom. Doubling-artifacts were quantified in patient images using structural similarity maps to determine the similarity between axial slices. Results: Increasing amounts of doubling-artifacts were observed with increasing rotation times > 0.2s for 16×1mm slice scan geometry. No significant increase in doubling artifacts was observed for 64×1mm slice scan geometry up to 1.0s rotation time although blurring artifacts were observed >0.6s. Using a 16×1mm slice scan geometry, a rotation time of less than 0.3s (53mm/s scan speed) would be required to produce images of similar quality to a 64×1mm slice scan geometry. Conclusion: The current generation of 16 slice CT scanners, which are present in most Radiation Oncology departments, are not capable of generating free-breathing sorting-artifact-free images in the majority of patients. The next generation of CT scanners should be capable of at least 53mm/s scan speed

Pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma is a rare highly lethal disease, with additional retrograde extension to pulmonic valve and right ventricle being an extremely rare condition. It is frequently mistaken for pulmonary thromboembolism. We report a case of 64-year-old woman with progressive dyspnea initially suspected and treated for pulmonary thromboembolism. Her helical chest CTscan with 3 dimensional (3D) reconstruction combined with echocardiography revealed a compacting main pulmonary artery mass extending to the right ventricular outflow tract and the right pulmonary artery. After excision of the mass, the patient's condition improved dramatically, and the pathologic findings revealed pulmonary intimal sarcoma. This report emphasizes that helical chest CT with 3D reconstruction can be an important tool to differentiate the characteristics of pulmonary artery lesions, such as intimal sarcoma and thromboembolism.

There is a growing interest in minimally invasive implant therapy as a standard prosthodontic treatment, providing complete restoration of occlusal function. A new treatment method (CADDIMA), which combines both computerized tomographic (CT) and optical laser-scan data for planning and design of surgical guides, implant abutments, and prosthetic devices, is described. Imaging using a "NewTom 3G" cone beam CT scanner and a modified laser triangulation scanner "D200c" is discussed, as are impression and surgical guide fabrication, which allow for flapless, precise implant placement and an accurate provisional prosthesis. The new approach gives the operator full control over the design of the implant prosthesis for planning of proper occlusal relations and shows promise for further evaluation.

Background Computed tomography (CT) scanning has become essential in the early diagnostic phase of trauma care because of its high diagnostic accuracy. The introduction of multi-slice CT scanners and infrastructural improvements made total-body CTscanning technically feasible and its usage is currently becoming common practice in several trauma centers. However, literature provides limited evidence whether immediate total-body CT leads to better clinical outcome then conventional radiographic imaging supplemented with selective CTscanning in trauma patients. The aim of the REACT-2 trial is to determine the value of immediate total-body CTscanning in trauma patients. Methods/design The REACT-2 trial is an international, multicenter randomized clinical trial. All participating trauma centers have a multi-slice CT scanner located in the trauma room or at the Emergency Department (ED). All adult, non-pregnant, severely injured trauma patients according to predefined criteria will be included. Patients in whom direct scanning will hamper necessary cardiopulmonary resuscitation or who require an immediate operation because of imminent death (both as judged by the trauma team leader) are excluded. Randomization will be computer assisted. The intervention group will receive a contrast-enhanced total-body CTscan (head to pelvis) during the primary survey. The control group will be evaluated according to local conventional trauma imaging protocols (based on ATLS guidelines) supplemented with selective CTscanning. Primary outcome will be in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes are differences in mortality and morbidity during the first year post trauma, several trauma work-up time intervals, radiation exposure, general health and quality of life at 6 and 12 months post trauma and cost-effectiveness. Discussion The REACT-2 trial is a multicenter randomized clinical trial that will provide evidence on the value of immediate total-body CTscanning during the primary

This paper is devoted to the construction of a complete database which is intended to improve the implementation and the evaluation of automated facial reconstruction. This growing database is currently composed of 85 head CT-scans of healthy European subjects aged 20-65 years old. It also includes the triangulated surfaces of the face and the skull of each subject. These surfaces are extracted from CT-scans using an original combination of image-processing techniques which are presented in the paper. Besides, a set of 39 referenced anatomical skull landmarks were located manually on each scan. Using the geometrical information provided by triangulated surfaces, we compute facial soft-tissue depths at each known landmark positions. We report the average thickness values at each landmark and compare our measures to those of the traditional charts of [J. Rhine, C.E. Moore, Facial Tissue Thickness of American Caucasoïds, Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1982] and of several recent in vivo studies [M.H. Manhein, G.A. Listi, R.E. Barsley, et al., In vivo facial tissue depth measurements for children and adults, Journal of Forensic Sciences 45 (1) (2000) 48-60; S. De Greef, P. Claes, D. Vandermeulen, et al., Large-scale in vivo Caucasian facial soft tissue thickness database for craniofacial reconstruction, Forensic Science International 159S (2006) S126-S146; R. Helmer, Schödelidentifizierung durch elektronische bildmischung, Kriminalistik Verlag GmbH, Heidelberg, 1984].

Imaging is a crucial clinical tool for diagnosis and assessment of pneumonia, but quantitative methods are lacking. Micro-computed tomography (micro CT), designed for lab animals, provides opportunities for non-invasive radiographic endpoints for pneumonia studies. HYPOTHESIS: In vivo micro CTscans of mice with early bacterial pneumonia can be scored quantitatively by semiautomated imaging methods, with good reproducibility and correlation with bacterial dose inoculated, pneumonia survival outcome, and radiologists' scores. METHODS: Healthy mice had intratracheal inoculation of E. coli bacteria (n=24) or saline control (n=11). In vivo micro CTscans were performed 24 hours later with microCAT II (Siemens). Two independent radiologists scored the extent of airspace abnormality, on a scale of 0 (normal) to 24 (completely abnormal). Using the Amira 5.2 software (Mercury Computer Systems), a histogram distribution of voxel counts between the Hounsfield range of -510 to 0 was created and analyzed, and a segmentation procedure was devised. RESULTS: A t-test was performed to determine whether there was a significant difference in the mean voxel value of each mouse in the three experimental groups: Saline Survivors, Pneumonia Survivors, and Pneumonia Non-survivors. It was found that the voxel count method was able to statistically tell apart the Saline Survivors from the Pneumonia Survivors, the Saline Survivors from the Pneumonia Non-survivors, but not the Pneumonia Survivors vs. Pneumonia Non-survivors. The segmentation method, however, was successfully able to distinguish the two Pneumonia groups. CONCLUSION: We have pilot-tested an evaluation of early pneumonia in mice using micro CT and a semi-automated method for lung segmentation and scoring system. Statistical analysis indicates that the system is reliable and merits further evaluation.

The objective of the study was to determine differences in optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) measurements taken from computed tomography (CT) scans of patients with ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) obstruction versus controls. Inpatients 0-15 years with confirmed VPS obstruction requiring neurosurgical intervention were identified using ICD9 codes. ONSDs, orbit, cranium, and foramen magnum sizes were measured on their pre-surgical CT. Controls included cases at times when their VPS was not obstructed and age and gender matched patients with a CTscan done in the emergency room for head trauma (normal CT findings). Paired T-tests were used for both case-control comparisons. In order to compare the optic nerve sheath size more accurately, the ONSD width was divided by the width of the orbit and by the foramen magnum (antero-posterior) length. Twenty patients were identified with 25 events of VPS obstruction. The right ONSD (RON) was chosen to study. RON/orbit width and RON/foramen magnum diameter for the VPS obstruction versus self-controls, were 0.22 and 0.22, compared to 0.19 and 0.18, respectively, for the non-obstructed self-controls (P = .044 and P = .008, respectively). The same measurements for the VPS obstruction versus age and gender matched controls were 0.22 and 0.21 for the VPS obstruction cases, respectively, compared to 0.17 and 0.16, respectively for the age and gender matched controls (P < .001 and P < .001, respectively). This data confirms that the optic nerve diameter increases during a VPS obstruction. ONSD measurements by ultrasound could add to the evaluation for VPS obstruction.

With the rapidly growing number of CT examinations, the consequential radiation risk has aroused more and more attention. The average dose in each organ during CTscans can only be obtained by using Monte Carlo simulation with computational phantoms. Since children tend to have higher radiation sensitivity than adults, the radiation dose of pediatric CT examinations requires special attention and needs to be assessed accurately. So far, studies on organ doses from CT exposures for pediatric patients are still limited. In this work, a 1-year-old computational phantom was constructed. The body contour was obtained from the CT images of a 1-year-old physical phantom and the internal organs were deformed from an existing Chinese reference adult phantom. To ensure the organ locations in the 1-year-old computational phantom were consistent with those of the physical phantom, the organ locations in 1-year-old computational phantom were manually adjusted one by one, and the organ masses were adjusted to the corresponding Chinese reference values. Moreover, a CT scanner model was developed using the Monte Carlo technique and the 1-year-old computational phantom was applied to estimate organ doses derived from simulated CT exposures. As a result, a database including doses to 36 organs and tissues from 47 single axial scans was built. It has been verified by calculation that doses of axial scans are close to those of helical scans; therefore, this database could be applied to helical scans as well. Organ doses were calculated using the database and compared with those obtained from the measurements made in the physical phantom for helical scans. The differences between simulation and measurement were less than 25% for all organs. The result shows that the 1-year-old phantom developed in this work can be used to calculate organ doses in CT exposures, and the dose database provides a method for the estimation of 1-year-old patient doses in a variety of CT examinations.

With the rapidly growing number of CT examinations, the consequential radiation risk has aroused more and more attention. The average dose in each organ during CTscans can only be obtained by using Monte Carlo simulation with computational phantoms. Since children tend to have higher radiation sensitivity than adults, the radiation dose of pediatric CT examinations requires special attention and needs to be assessed accurately. So far, studies on organ doses from CT exposures for pediatric patients are still limited. In this work, a 1-year-old computational phantom was constructed. The body contour was obtained from the CT images of a 1-year-old physical phantom and the internal organs were deformed from an existing Chinese reference adult phantom. To ensure the organ locations in the 1-year-old computational phantom were consistent with those of the physical phantom, the organ locations in 1-year-old computational phantom were manually adjusted one by one, and the organ masses were adjusted to the corresponding Chinese reference values. Moreover, a CT scanner model was developed using the Monte Carlo technique and the 1-year-old computational phantom was applied to estimate organ doses derived from simulated CT exposures. As a result, a database including doses to 36 organs and tissues from 47 single axial scans was built. It has been verified by calculation that doses of axial scans are close to those of helical scans; therefore, this database could be applied to helical scans as well. Organ doses were calculated using the database and compared with those obtained from the measurements made in the physical phantom for helical scans. The differences between simulation and measurement were less than 25% for all organs. The result shows that the 1-year-old phantom developed in this work can be used to calculate organ doses in CT exposures, and the dose database provides a method for the estimation of 1-year-old patient doses in a variety of CT examinations.

Purpose: The potential role of four-dimensional (4D) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in radiation treatment planning, relative to standard three-dimensional (3D) PET/CT, was examined. Methods and Materials: Ten patients with non-small-cell lung cancer had sequential 3D and 4D [{sup 18}F]fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CTscans in the treatment position prior to radiation therapy. The gross tumor volume and involved lymph nodes were contoured on the PET scan by use of three different techniques: manual contouring by an experienced radiation oncologist using a predetermined protocol; a technique with a constant threshold of standardized uptake value (SUV) greater than 2.5; and an automatic segmentation technique. For each technique, the tumor volume was defined on the 3D scan (VOL3D) and on the 4D scan (VOL4D) by combining the volume defined on each of the five breathing phases individually. The range of tumor motion and the location of each lesion were also recorded, and their influence on the differences observed between VOL3D and VOL4D was investigated. Results: We identified and analyzed 22 distinct lesions, including 9 primary tumors and 13 mediastinal lymph nodes. Mean VOL4D was larger than mean VOL3D with all three techniques, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.01). The range of tumor motion and the location of the tumor affected the magnitude of the difference. For one case, all three tumor definition techniques identified volume of moderate uptake of approximately 1 mL in the hilar region on the 4D scan (SUV maximum, 3.3) but not on the 3D scan (SUV maximum, 2.3). Conclusions: In comparison to 3D PET, 4D PET may better define the full physiologic extent of moving tumors and improve radiation treatment planning for lung tumors. In addition, reduction of blurring from free-breathing images may reveal additional information regarding regional disease.

Purpose: To determine an optimal standardized uptake value (SUV) threshold for detecting lymph node (LN) metastases in esophageal cancer using {sup 18}F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computer tomography ({sup 18}FDG PET/CT) and to define the resulting nodal target volume, using histopathology as a 'gold standard.' Methods: Sixteen patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent radical esophagectomy and three-field LN dissection after {sup 18}FDG PET/CT and CTscans were enrolled into this study. Locations of LN groups were recorded according to a uniform LN map. Diagnostic performance of different SUV thresholds was assessed by receiver operating characteristic analysis. The optimal cutoff SUV was determined by plotting the false-negative rate (FNR) and false-positive rate (FPR), the sum of both error rates (FNR+FPR), and accuracy against a hypothetical SUV threshold. For each patient, nodal gross tumor volumes (GTVNs) were generated with CT alone (GTVNCT), PET/CT (GTVNPET), and pathologic data (GTVNpath). GTVNCT or GTVNPET was compared with GTVNpath by means of a conformity index (CI), which is the intersection of the two GTVNs divided by the sum of them minus the intersection, e.g., CI{sub CT} and {sub path} = GTVN{sub CT} and {sub path}/(GTVN{sub CT}+ GTVN{sub path} - GTVN{sub CT} and {sub path}). Results: LN metastases occurred in 21 LN groups among the 144 specimens taken from the 16 patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.9017 {+-} 0.0410. The plot of error rates showed a minimum of FNR+FPR for an SUV of 2.36, at which the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 76.19%, 95.93%, and 93.06%, respectively, whereas those of CT were 33.33%, 94.31%, and 85.42% (p values: 0.0117, 0.7539, and 0.0266). Mean GTVN{sub CT}, GTVN{sub PET}, and GTVN{sub path} were 1.52 {+-} 2.38, 2.82 {+-} 4.51, and 2.68 {+-} 4.16cm{sup 3}, respectively. Mean CI{sub CT} and {sub path} and CI{sub PET} and {sub path

Emphysema is a disease of the lungs that destroys the alveolar air sacs and induces long-term respiratory dysfunction. CTscans allow for imaging of the anatomical basis of emphysema and for visual assessment by radiologists of the extent present in the lungs. Several measures have been introduced for the quantification of the extent of disease directly from CT data in order to add to the qualitative assessments made by radiologists. In this paper we compare emphysema index, mean lung density, histogram percentiles, and the fractal dimension to visual grade in order to evaluate the predictability of radiologist visual scoring of emphysema from low-dose CTscans through quantitative scores, in order to determine which measures can be useful as surrogates for visual assessment. All measures were computed over nine divisions of the lung field (whole lung, individual lungs, and upper/middle/lower thirds of each lung) for each of 148 low-dose, whole lung scans. In addition, a visual grade of each section was also given by an expert radiologist. One-way ANOVA and multinomial logistic regression were used to determine the ability of the measures to predict visual grade from quantitative score. We found that all measures were able to distinguish between normal and severe grades (p<0.01), and between mild/moderate and all other grades (p<0.05). However, no measure was able to distinguish between mild and moderate cases. Approximately 65% prediction accuracy was achieved from using quantitative score to predict visual grade, with 73% if mild and moderate cases are considered as a single class.

Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC), which is a subtype of head and neck cancer, is the most common type of oral cancer. Due to its high recurrence rate and chemoresistance, the average survival rate for patients with TSCC remains unsatisfactory. At present, cisplatin (CDDP) is utilized as the first-line treatment for numerous solid neoplasms, including TSCC. CDDP resistance develops in the majority of patients; however, the mechanism of such resistance remains unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to clarify the mechanism of CDDP resistance and attempted to reduce chemoresistance. The results indicated that CDDP significantly increased expression of xCT, which is the light chain and functional subunit of the glutamate/cysteine transporter system xc−, and a subsequent increase in glutathione (GSH) levels was observed. The present study demonstrated that the upregulation of xCT expression and intercellular GSH levels contributed to CDDP resistance in TSCC cells. Furthermore, xCT suppression, induced by small interfering RNA or pharmacological inhibitors, sensitized TSCC cells to CDDP treatment. In conclusion, the present study revealed that CDDP-induced xCT expression promotes CDDP chemoresistance, and xCT inhibition sensitizes TSCC cells to CDDP treatment. These results provide a novel insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in TSCC cell chemoresistance. PMID:27347143

This paper is about geometric calibration of the high resolution CT (Computed Tomography) system. Geometric calibration refers to the estimation of a set of parameters that describe the geometry of the CT system. Such parameters are so important that a little error of them will degrade the reconstruction images seriously, so more accurate geometric parameters are needed in the higher-resolution CT systems. But conventional calibration methods are not accurate enough for the current high resolution CT system whose resolution can reach sub-micrometer or even tens of nanometers. In this paper, we propose a new calibration method which has higher accuracy and it is based on the optimization theory. The superiority of this method is that we build a new cost function which sets up a relationship between the geometrical parameters and the binary reconstruction image of a thin wire. When the geometrical parameters are accurate, the cost function reaches its maximum value. In the experiment, we scanned a thin wire as the calibration data and a thin bamboo stick as the validation data to verify the correctness of the proposed method. Comparing with the image reconstructed with the geometric parameters calculated by using the conventional calibration method, the image reconstructed with the parameters calculated by our method has less geometric artifacts, so it can verify that our method can get more accurate geometric calibration parameters. Although we calculated only one geometric parameter in this paper, the geometric artifacts are still eliminated significantly. And this method can be easily generalized to all the geometrical parameters calibration in fan-beam or cone-beam CT systems.

A careful physical examination is absolutely necessary as a first evaluation of all disorders of the shoulder before performing any imaging technique that must be chosen according to the kind of suspected pathology. The best indications for performing an arthroscanner are the intraarticular lesions such as injuries of the glenoid labrum and of the articular capsule. Echography is the most performing technique for bicipital and rotator cuff tendinitis. CTscan helps to understand the antero-internal retro-coracoidal impingment syndromes as well as uninterpretable bone lesions at standard radiography. Arthrography and arthro-pneumo-tomography are very useful for presurgical assessment of rotator cuff tears.

A microcomputer-based image processing system is used to digitize and process serial sections of CT/MRI scan and reconstruct three-dimensional images of brain structures and brain lesions. The images grabbed also serve as templates and different vital regions with different risk values are also traced out for 3D reconstruction. A knowledge-based system employing rule-based programming has been built to help identifying brain lesions and to help planning trajectory for operations. The volumes of the lesions are also automatically determined. Such system is very useful for medical skills archival, tumor size monitoring, survival and outcome forecasting, and consistent neurosurgical planning.

Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are excellent modalities which have the ability to detect, depict and stage the nerve invasion associated with pancreatic carcinoma. The aim of this article is to review the CT and MR patterns of pancreatic carcinoma invading the extrapancreatic neural plexus and thus provide useful information which could help the choice of treatment methods. Pancreatic carcinoma is a common malignant neoplasm with a high mortality rate. There are many factors influencing the prognosis and treatment options for those patients suffering from pancreatic carcinoma, such as lymphatic metastasis, adjacent organs or tissue invasion, etc. Among these factors, extrapancreatic neural plexus invasion is recognized as an important factor when considering the management of the patients. PMID:22328967

The aim of this study was to evaluate fast laser-scanning optical CT versus MRI for an nPAG gel dosimeter in terms of accuracy and precision. Three small cylindrical volumetric gel phantoms were fabricated and irradiated with photon beams. The gel dosimeters were scanned with an MR scanner and an in house developed laser scanning optical CT scanner. A comparison between MRI and optical CTscanning was performed based on the reconstructed images. Preliminary results show a fair correspondence in the MRI acquired and optical CT acquired dose maps. Still, ringing artifacts contaminate the reconstructed optical CT images. These may be related to sub-pixel misalignments between the blank projection and the acquired transmission projection of the gel phantom. Another artifact may be caused by refraction near the edges of the field. Further optimisation of our optical CT scanner is required to obtain the same accuracy as with MRI. To make a comparison between the two imaging modalities in terms of precision, the intrinsic dose precision on readout (IPD) was calculated which is independent of spatial resolution and acquisition time. It is shown that optical CT has a better intrinsic dose precision.

Perfusion CT of the liver typically involves scanning the liver at least 20 times, resulting in a large radiation dose. We developed and validated a simplified model of tumor blood supply that can be applied to standard triphasic scans and evaluated whether this can be used to distinguish benign and malignant liver lesions. Triphasic CTs of 46 malignant and 32 benign liver lesions were analyzed. For each phase, regions of interest were drawn in the arterially enhancing portion of each lesion, as well as the background liver, aorta, and portal vein. Hepatic artery and portal vein blood supply coefficients for each lesion were then calculated by expressing the enhancement curve of the lesion as a linear combination of the enhancement curves of the aorta and portal vein. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hypervascular metastases, on average, both had increased hepatic artery coefficients compared to the background liver. Compared to HCC, benign lesions, on average, had either a greater hepatic artery coefficient (hemangioma) or a greater portal vein coefficient (focal nodular hyperplasia or transient hepatic attenuation difference). Hypervascularity with washout is a key diagnostic criterion for HCC, but it had a sensitivity of 72 % and specificity of 81 % for diagnosing malignancy in our diverse set of liver lesions. The sensitivity for malignancy was increased to 89 % by including enhancing lesions that were hypodense on all phases. The specificity for malignancy was increased to 97 % (p = 0.039) by also examining hepatic artery and portal vein blood supply coefficients, while maintaining a sensitivity of 76 %.

We are developing a computer-aided detection (CAD) system for lung nodules in thoracic CT volumes. Our CAD system includes an adaptive 3D pre-screening algorithm to segment suspicious objects, and a false-positive (FP) reduction stage to classify the segmented objects as true nodules or normal lung structures. We found that the effectiveness of the FP reduction stage was limited by the different characteristics of the objects in the internal and the juxta-pleural (JP) regions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate object characteristics in the internal and JP regions of a lung CTscan, and to develop different FP reduction classifiers for JP and internal objects. Our FP reduction technique utilized shape, grayscale, and gradient features, as well as the scores of a newly-developed neural network trained on the eigenvalues of the Hessian matrix in a volume of interest containing the suspicious object. We designed an algorithm to automatically label the objects as internal or JP. Based on a training set of 75 CTscans containing internal and JP nodules, two FP classifiers were trained separately for objects in the two types of lung regions. The system performance was evaluated on an independent test set of 27 low dose screening scans. An experienced chest radiologist identified 64 solid nodules (mean diameter: 5.3 mm, range: 3.0-12.9 mm) on the test cases, of which 33 were internal and 31 were JP. Our adaptive 3D prescreening algorithm detected 28 internal and 29 JP nodules. At 80% sensitivity, the average number of FPs was 3.9 and 9.7 in the internal and JP regions per scan, respectively. In comparison, a classifier designed to work on both types of nodules had an average of 29.4 FPs per scan at the same sensitivity. Our results indicate that it is more effective to use two different classifiers for JP and internal nodules because of their different characteristics. FPs in the JP region were more difficult to distinguish from true nodules. Further investigation

Markov random field (MRF) model has been widely employed in edge-preserving regional noise smoothing penalty to reconstruct piece-wise smooth images in the presence of noise, such as in low-dose computed tomography (LdCT). While it preserves edge sharpness, its regional smoothing may sacrifice tissue image textures, which have been recognized as useful imaging biomarkers, and thus it may compromise clinical tasks such as differentiating malignant vs. benign lesions, e.g., lung nodules or colon polyps. This study aims to shift the edge-preserving regional noise smoothing paradigm to texture-preserving framework for LdCT image reconstruction while retaining the advantage of MRF’s neighborhood system on edge preservation. Specifically, we adapted the MRF model to incorporate the image textures of muscle, fat, bone, lung, etc. from previous full-dose CT (FdCT) scan as a priori knowledge for texture-preserving Bayesian reconstruction of current LdCT images. To show the feasibility of the proposed reconstruction framework, experiments using clinical patient scans were conducted. The experimental outcomes showed a dramatic gain by the a priori knowledge for LdCT image reconstruction using the commonly-used Haralick texture measures. Thus, it is conjectured that the texture-preserving LdCT reconstruction has advantages over the edge-preserving regional smoothing paradigm for texture-specific clinical applications. PMID:26561284

Background We tested interim positron-emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) as a measure of early response to chemotherapy in order to guide treatment for patients with advanced Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Methods Patients with newly diagnosed advanced classic Hodgkin’s lymphoma underwent a baseline PET-CTscan, received two cycles of ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine) chemotherapy, and then underwent an interim PET-CTscan. Images were centrally reviewed with the use of a 5-point scale for PET findings. Patients with negative PET findings after two cycles were randomly assigned to continue ABVD (ABVD group) or omit bleomycin (AVD group) in cycles 3 through 6. Those with positive PET findings after two cycles received BEACOPP (bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone). Radiotherapy was not recommended for patients with negative findings on interim scans. The primary outcome was the difference in the 3-year progression-free survival rate between randomized groups, a noninferiority comparison to exclude a difference of 5 or more percentage points. Results A total of 1214 patients were registered; 937 of the 1119 patients (83.7%) who underwent an interim PET-CTscan according to protocol had negative findings. With a median follow-up of 41 months, the 3-year progression-free survival rate and overall survival rate in the ABVD group were 85.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 82.1 to 88.6) and 97.2% (95% CI, 95.1 to 98.4), respectively; the corresponding rates in the AVD group were 84.4% (95% CI, 80.7 to 87.5) and 97.6% (95% CI, 95.6 to 98.7). The absolute difference in the 3-year progression-free survival rate (ABVD minus AVD) was 1.6 percentage points (95% CI, −3.2 to 5.3). Respiratory adverse events were more severe in the ABVD group than in the AVD group. BEACOPP was given to the 172 patients with positive findings on the interim scan, and 74.4% had negative findings on a third

The dosimetry of small fields as used in stereotactic radiotherapy, radiosurgery and intensity-modulated radiation therapy can be challenging and inaccurate due to partial volume averaging effects and possible disruption of charged particle equilibrium. Consequently, there exists a need for an integrating, tissue equivalent dosimeter with high spatial resolution to avoid perturbing the radiation beam and artificially broadening the measured beam penumbra. In this work, radiochromic ferrous xylenol-orange (FX) and leuco crystal violet (LCV) micelle gels were used to measure relative dose factors (RDFs), percent depth dose profiles and relative lateral beam profiles of 6 MV x-ray pencil beams of diameter 28.1, 9.8 and 4.9 mm. The pencil beams were produced via stereotactic collimators mounted on a Varian 2100 EX linear accelerator. The gels were read using optical computed tomography (CT). Data sets were compared quantitatively with dosimetric measurements made with radiographic (Kodak EDR2) and radiochromic (GAFChromic EBT) film, respectively. Using a fast cone-beam optical CT scanner (Vista), corrections for diffusion in the FX gel data yielded RDFs that were comparable to those obtained by minimally diffusing LCV gels. Considering EBT film-measured RDF data as reference, cone-beam CT-scanned LCV gel data, corrected for scattered stray light, were found to be in agreement within 0.5% and -0.6% for the 9.8 and 4.9 mm diameter fields, respectively. The validity of the scattered stray light correction was confirmed by general agreement with RDF data obtained from the same LCV gel read out with a laser CT scanner that is less prone to the acceptance of scattered stray light. Percent depth dose profiles and lateral beam profiles were found to agree within experimental error for the FX gel (corrected for diffusion), LCV gel (corrected for scattered stray light), and EBT and EDR2 films. The results from this study reveal that a three-dimensional dosimetry method utilizing

The dose response of the BANG®3 polymer gel dosimeter (MGS Research Inc., Madison, CT) was studied using the OCTOPUS™ laser CT scanner (MGS Research Inc., Madison, CT). Six 17 cm diameter and 12 cm high Barex cylinders, and 18 small glass vials were used to house the gel. The gel phantoms were irradiated with 6 and 10 MV photons, as well as 12 and 16 MeV electrons using a Varian Clinac 2100EX. Three calibration methods were used to obtain the dose response curves: (a) Optical density measurements on the 18 glass vials irradiated with graded doses from 0 to 4 Gy using 6 or 10 MV large field irradiations; (b) optical-CTscanning of Barex cylinders irradiated with graded doses (0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 Gy) from four adjacent 4×4 cm2 photon fields or 6×6 cm2 electron fields; and (c) percent depth dose (PDD) comparison of optical-CTscans with ion chamber measurements for 6×6 cm2, 12 and 16 MeV electron fields. The dose response of the BANG®3 gel was found to be linear and energy independent within the uncertainties of the experimental methods (about 3%). The slopes of the linearly fitted dose response curves (dose sensitivities) from the four field irradiations (0.0752±3%, 0.0756±3%, 0.0767±3%, and 0.0759±3% cm−1 Gy−1) and the PDD matching methods (0.0768±3% and 0.0761±3% cm−1 Gy−1) agree within 2.2%, indicating a good reproducibility of the gel dose response within phantoms of the same geometry. The dose sensitivities from the glass vial approach are different from those of the cylindrical Barex phantoms by more than 30%, owing probably to the difference in temperature inside the two types of phantoms during gel formation and irradiation, and possible oxygen contamination of the glass vial walls. The dose response curve obtained from the PDD matching approach with 16 MeV electron field was used to calibrate the gel phantom irradiated with the 12 MeV, 6×6 cm2 electron field. Three-dimensional dose distributions from the gel measurement and the Eclipse

In this study, we applied the iterative reconstruction technique to improve image quality (I-dose) and evaluated its usability by analyzing the quality of the resulting image and evaluating the dose. To perform the scans, we fixed the uniform module (CTP 486's section) 4 on the table of the computed tomography (CT) device with the American association of physicists in medicine (AAPM) phantom and located it in the center where the X-rays could be generated by using a razor beam. Then, we set up the conditions of 120 kilovoltage peak (kVp), 150 milliampere second (mAs), collimation 4 × 0.625 mm, and a standard YA (Y-Sharp) filter. Next, we formed two groups: Group A in which I-dose was not applied and Group B in which I-dose was applied. According to the rod in the middle, after fixing the location of (A) at 12 o'clock, (B) at 3 o'clock, (C) at 6 o'clock, and (D) at 9 o'clock to evaluate the image quality, the CT number was measured and the noise level was analyzed. Using the AAPM phantom with doses of 50, 100, 200, 250, and 300 mAs by 80, 100, and 120 kVp, a dose analysis was performed. After scanning, the CT numbers and noise level were measured 20 times as a function of the I-dose levels (1-7). After applying I-dose at 6, 9, 12, and 3 o'clock, when a higher I-dose was applied, a lower noise level was measured. As a result, it was found that when applying I-dose to the AAPM phantom, the higher the level of I-dose, the lower the level of noise. When applying I-dose, the dose can be reduced by 60%. When I-dose is applied when taking CTscans in a clinical study, it is possible to lower the dose and lower the noise level.

Accurate surface anatomy is essential for safe clinical practice. There are numerous inconsistencies in clinically important surface markings among and within contemporary anatomical reference texts. The aim of this study was to investigate key thoracic and abdominal surface anatomy landmarks in living Chinese adults using computed tomography (CT). A total of 100 thoracic and 100 abdominal CTscans were examined. Our results indicated that the following key surface landmarks differed from current commonly-accepted descriptions: the positions of the tracheal bifurcation, azygos vein termination, and pulmonary trunk bifurcation (all below the plane of the sternal angle at vertebral level T5-T6 in most individuals); the superior vena cava formation and junction with the right atrium (most often behind the 1st and 4th intercostal spaces, respectively); and the level at which the inferior vena cava and esophagus traverse the diaphragm (T10 and T11, respectively). The renal arteries were most commonly at L1; the midpoint of the renal hila was most frequently at L2; the 11th rib was posterior to the left kidney in only 29% of scans; and the spleen was most frequently located between the 10th and 12th ribs. A number of significant sex- and age-related differences were noted. The Chinese population was also compared with western populations on the basis of published reports. Reappraisal of surface anatomy using modern imaging tools in vivo will provide both quantitative and qualitative evidence to facilitate the clinical application of these key surface landmarks.

To facilitate hepatic surgical planning, we have developed a new system for the automatic 3D delineation of anatomical and pathological hepatic structures from a spiral CTscan. This system also extracts functional information useful for surgery planning, such as portal vein labeling and anatomical segment delineation following the conventional Couinaud definition. From a 2 mm thick enhanced spiral CTscan, a first stage automatically delineates the skin, bones, lungs and kidneys, by combining the use of thresholding, mathematical morphological methods and distance maps. Next, a reference 3D model is immerged in the image and automatically deformed to the liver contour. Then an automatic Gaussians fitting on the imaging histogram allows to threshold the intensities of parenchyma, vessels and lesions. The next stage improves this first classification by an original topological and geometrical analysis, providing an automatic and precise delineation of lesions and veins. Finally, a topological and geometrical analysis based on medical knowledge provides the hepatic functional information invisible in medical imaging: portal vein labeling and hepatic anatomical segments. Clinical validation performed on more than 30 patients shows that this method allows a delineation of anatomical structures, often more sensitive and more specific than manual delineation by a radiologist.

Purpose Chronic hand and wrist pain is a common clinical issue for orthopaedic surgeons and rheumatologists. The purpose of this study was 1. To analyze the interobserver agreement of SPECT/CT, MRI, CT, bone scan and plain radiographs in patients with non-specific pain of the hand and wrist, and 2. to assess the diagnostic accuracy of these imaging methods in this selected patient population. Materials and Methods Thirty-two consecutive patients with non-specific pain of the hand or wrist were evaluated retrospectively. All patients had been imaged by plain radiographs, planar early-phase imaging (bone scan), late-phase imaging (SPECT/CT including bone scan and CT), and MRI. Two experienced and two inexperienced readers analyzed the images with a standardized read-out protocol. Reading criteria were lesion detection and localisation, type and etiology of the underlying pathology. Diagnostic accuracy and interobserver agreement were determined for all readers and imaging modalities. Results The most accurate modality for experienced readers was SPECT/CT (accuracy 77%), followed by MRI (56%). The best performing, though little accurate modality for inexperienced readers was also SPECT/CT (44%), followed by MRI and bone scan (38% each). The interobserver agreement of experienced readers was generally high in SPECT/CT concerning lesion detection (kappa 0.93, MRI 0.72), localisation (kappa 0.91, MRI 0.75) and etiology (kappa 0.85, MRI 0.74), while MRI yielded better results on typification of lesions (kappa 0.75, SPECT/CT 0.69). There was poor agreement between experienced and inexperienced readers in SPECT/CT and MRI. Conclusions SPECT/CT proved to be the most helpful imaging modality in patients with non-specific wrist pain. The method was found reliable, providing high interobserver agreement, being outperformed by MRI only concerning the typification of lesions. We believe it is beneficial to integrate SPECT/CT into the diagnostic imaging algorithm of chronic wrist

The vast amount of image data acquired during a computed tomography (CT) scan makes lung nodule detection a burdensome task. Moreover, the growing acceptance of low-dose CT for lung cancer screening promises to further impact radiologists' workloads. Therefore, we have developed a computerized method to automatically analyze structures within a CTscan and identify those structures that represent lung nodules. Gray-level thresholding is performed to segment the lungs in each section to produce a segmented lung volume, which is then iteratively thresholded. At each iteration, remaining voxels are grouped into contiguous three-dimensional structures. Structures that satisfy a volume criterion then become nodule candidates. The set of nodule candidates is subjected to feature analysis. To distinguish candidates representing nodule and non-nodule structures, a rule-based approach is combined with an automated classifier. This method was applied to 43 standard-dose (diagnostic) CTscans and 13 low-dose CTscans. The method achieved an overall detection sensitivity of 71% with 1.5 false-positive detections per section on the standard-dose database and 71% sensitivity with 1.2 false-positive detections per section on the low-dose database. This automated method demonstrates promising performance in its ability to accurately detect lung nodules in standard-dose and low-dose CT images.

Purpose: Implanted gold markers for image-guided radiotherapy lead to streaking artifacts in cone-beam CT (CBCT) scans. Several methods for metal artifact reduction (MAR) have been published, but they all fail in scans with large motion. Here the authors propose and investigate a method for automatic moving metal artifact reduction (MMAR) in CBCT scans with cylindrical gold markers. Methods: The MMAR CBCT reconstruction method has six steps. (1) Automatic segmentation of the cylindrical markers in the CBCT projections. (2) Removal of each marker in the projections by replacing the pixels within a masked area with interpolated values. (3) Reconstruction of a marker-free CBCT volume from the manipulated CBCT projections. (4) Reconstruction of a standard CBCT volume with metal artifacts from the original CBCT projections. (5) Estimation of the three-dimensional (3D) trajectory during CBCT acquisition for each marker based on the segmentation in Step 1, and identification of the smallest ellipsoidal volume that encompasses 95% of the visited 3D positions. (6) Generation of the final MMAR CBCT reconstruction from the marker-free CBCT volume of Step 3 by replacing the voxels in the 95% ellipsoid with the corresponding voxels of the standard CBCT volume of Step 4. The MMAR reconstruction was performed retrospectively using a half-fan CBCT scan for 29 consecutive stereotactic body radiation therapy patients with 2–3 gold markers implanted in the liver. The metal artifacts of the MMAR reconstructions were scored and compared with a standard MAR reconstruction by counting the streaks and by calculating the standard deviation of the Hounsfield units in a region around each marker. Results: The markers were found with the same autosegmentation settings in 27 CBCT scans, while two scans needed slightly changed settings to find all markers automatically in Step 1 of the MMAR method. MMAR resulted in 15 scans with no streaking artifacts, 11 scans with 1–4 streaks, and 3 scans

Background: Computer analysis of high-resolution CT (HRCT) scans may improve the assessment of structural lung injury in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). The goal of this cross-sectional pilot study was to validate automated, observer-independent image analysis software to establish objective, simple criteria for bronchiectasis and air trapping. Methods: HRCT scans of the chest were performed in 35 children with CF and compared with scans from 12 disease control subjects. Automated image analysis software was developed to count visible airways on inspiratory images and to measure a low attenuation density (LAD) index on expiratory images. Among the children with CF, relationships among automated measures, Brody HRCT scanning scores, lung function, and sputum markers of inflammation were assessed. Results: The number of total, central, and peripheral airways on inspiratory images and LAD (%) on expiratory images were significantly higher in children with CF compared with control subjects. Among subjects with CF, peripheral airway counts correlated strongly with Brody bronchiectasis scores by two raters (r = 0.86, P < .0001; r = 0.91, P < .0001), correlated negatively with lung function, and were positively associated with sputum free neutrophil elastase activity. LAD (%) correlated with Brody air trapping scores (r = 0.83, P < .0001; r = 0.69, P < .0001) but did not correlate with lung function or sputum inflammatory markers. Conclusions: Quantitative airway counts and LAD (%) on HRCT scans appear to be useful surrogates for bronchiectasis and air trapping in children with CF. Our automated methodology provides objective quantitative measures of bronchiectasis and air trapping that may serve as end points in CF clinical trials. PMID:24114359

Truly representative architectural parameters of trabeculea can be extremely difficult to achieve based on scanning images because of variable porosity and distribution of trabeculae within the specific overall scanned volume of bone. Accordingly, in present study different selective volume of interests, measured from centroid of μ-CTscanned human vertebral body, were analyzed to determine the architectural parameters (BV/TV, BS/BV, Tb.Th, Tb.N, Tb.Sp) of trabeculae within these volumes and to suggest an optimal volume for representative architectural parameters of the overall scanned volume. Nonlinear curve fitting method was also applied to obtain the correlation between the parameters and the volume of interests. The results show different volumes of interests give different morphological indices of BV/TV, BS/BV, Tb.N and Tb.Sp within a specific scanned vertebral body. Tb.Th shows relatively small variation (0.8%) even with sample volume of less than (2mm)(3). Statistical analysis shows that with sample volume of less than (6mm)(3), significant different in the measured BV/TV comparing against the control group. Tb.N and Tb.Sp show significant different values against the control group for volume of interest less than (4mm)(3) and (5mm)(3), respectively. However, no significant differences were observed in the indices of BS/BV and Tb.Th. Present study shows that an optimal volume of interests of greater than (6mm)(3) be selected to predict the architectural parameters of trabeculae of human vertebral bodies.

Purpose: To characterize the effect of deformable registration of serial computed tomography (CT) scans on the radiation dose calculated from a treatment planning scan. Methods: Eighteen patients who received curative doses (≥60Gy, 2Gy/fraction) of photon radiation therapy for lung cancer treatment were retrospectively identified. For each patient, a diagnostic-quality pre-therapy (4–75 days) CTscan and a treatment planning scan with an associated dose map calculated in Pinnacle were collected. To establish baseline correspondence between scan pairs, a researcher manually identified anatomically corresponding landmark point pairs between the two scans. Pre-therapy scans were co-registered with planning scans (and associated dose maps) using the Plastimatch demons and Fraunhofer MEVIS deformable registration algorithms. Landmark points in each pretherapy scan were automatically mapped to the planning scan using the displacement vector field output from both registration algorithms. The absolute difference in planned dose (|ΔD|) between manually and automatically mapped landmark points was calculated. Using regression modeling, |ΔD| was modeled as a function of the distance between manually and automatically matched points (registration error, E), the dose standard deviation (SD-dose) in the eight-pixel neighborhood, and the registration algorithm used. Results: 52–92 landmark point pairs (median: 82) were identified in each patient's scans. Average |ΔD| across patients was 3.66Gy (range: 1.2–7.2Gy). |ΔD| was significantly reduced by 0.53Gy using Plastimatch demons compared with Fraunhofer MEVIS. |ΔD| increased significantly as a function of E (0.39Gy/mm) and SD-dose (2.23Gy/Gy). Conclusion: An average error of <4Gy in radiation dose was introduced when points were mapped between CTscan pairs using deformable registration. Dose differences following registration were significantly increased when the Fraunhofer MEVIS registration algorithm was used

Purpose: Lung lesions vary considerably in size, density, and shape, and can attach to surrounding anatomic structures such as chest wall or mediastinum. Automatic segmentation of the lesions poses a challenge. This work communicates a new three-dimensional algorithm for the segmentation of a wide variety of lesions, ranging from tumors found in patients with advanced lung cancer to small nodules detected in lung cancer screening programs. Methods: The authors’ algorithm uniquely combines the image processing techniques of marker-controlled watershed, geometric active contours as well as Markov random field (MRF). The user of the algorithm manually selects a region of interest encompassing the lesion on a single slice and then the watershed method generates an initial surface of the lesion in three dimensions, which is refined by the active geometric contours. MRF improves the segmentation of ground glass opacity portions of part-solid lesions. The algorithm was tested on an anthropomorphic thorax phantom dataset and two publicly accessible clinical lung datasets. These clinical studies included a same-day repeat CT (prewalk and postwalk scans were performed within 15 min) dataset containing 32 lung lesions with one radiologist's delineated contours, and the first release of the Lung Image Database Consortium (LIDC) dataset containing 23 lung nodules with 6 radiologists’ delineated contours. The phantom dataset contained 22 phantom nodules of known volumes that were inserted in a phantom thorax. Results: For the prewalk scans of the same-day repeat CT dataset and the LIDC dataset, the mean overlap ratios of lesion volumes generated by the computer algorithm and the radiologist(s) were 69% and 65%, respectively. For the two repeat CTscans, the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.998, indicating high reliability of the algorithm. The mean relative difference was −3% for the phantom dataset. Conclusions: The performance of this new segmentation

We report the case of catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) complicated with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). A female patient was diagnosed with acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP) with MCTD by chest CTscan. Corticosteroid therapy was refractory for lung involvement, and she died due to acute respiratory failure. The autopsy revealed that AIP was compatible with lung involvement of CAPS. We therefore suggest that chest CT might reveal AIP-like findings in CAPS patients whose condition is complicated with pulmonary manifestations.

Background Pedicle screws are used increasingly in spine surgery. Concerns of complications associated with screw breach necessitates accurate pedicle screw placement. Postoperative CT imaging helps to detect screw malposition and assess its severity. However, accuracy is dependent on the reading of the CTscans. Inter- and intra-observer variability could affect the reliability of CTscans to assess multiple screw types and sites. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of multi-observer analysis of CTscans for determining pedicle screw breach for various screw types and sites in patients with spinal deformity or degenerative pathologies. Methods Axial CTscan images of 23 patients (286 screws) were read by four experienced spine surgeons. Pedicle screw placement was considered 'In' when the screw was fully contained and/or the pedicle wall breach was ≤2 mm. 'Out' was defined as a breach in the medial or lateral pedicle wall >2 mm. Intra-class coefficients (ICC) were calculated to assess the inter- and intra-observer reliability. Results Marked inter- and intra-observer variability was noticed. The overall inter-observer ICC was 0.45 (95% confidence limits 0.25 to 0.65). The intra-observer ICC was 0.49 (95% confidence limits 0.29 to 0.69). Underlying spinal pathology, screw type, and patient age did not seem to impact the reliability of our CT assessments. Conclusion Our results indicate the evaluation of pedicle screw breach on CT by a single surgeon is highly variable, and care should be taken when using individual CT evaluations of millimeters of breach as a basis for screw removal. This was a Level III study. PMID:25694925

Purpose: This study aimed to tailor the CT imaging protocols for pediatric patients undergoing whole-body PET/CT examinations with appropriate attention to radiation exposure while maintaining adequate image quality for anatomic delineation of PET findings and attenuation correction of PET emission data. Methods: The measurements were made by using three anthropomorphic phantoms representative of 1-, 5-, and 10-year-old children with tube voltages of 80, 100, and 120 kVp, tube currents of 10, 40, 80, and 120 mA, and exposure time of 0.5 s at 1.75:1 pitch. Radiation dose estimates were derived from the dose-length product and were used to calculate risk estimates for radiation-induced cancer. The influence of image noise on image contrast and attenuation map for CTscans were evaluated based on Pearson's correlation coefficient and covariance, respectively. Multiple linear regression methods were used to investigate the effects of patient age, tube voltage, and tube current on radiation-induced cancer risk and image noise for CTscans. Results: The effective dose obtained using three anthropomorphic phantoms and 12 combinations of kVp and mA ranged from 0.09 to 4.08 mSv. Based on our results, CTscans acquired with 80 kVp/60 mA, 80 kVp/80 mA, and 100 kVp/60 mA could be performed on 1-, 5-, and 10-year-old children, respectively, to minimize cancer risk due to CTscans while maintaining the accuracy of attenuation map and CT image contrast. The effective doses of the proposed protocols for 1-, 5- and 10-year-old children were 0.65, 0.86, and 1.065 mSv, respectively. Conclusions: Low-dose pediatric CT protocols were proposed to balance the tradeoff between radiation-induced cancer risk and image quality for patients ranging in age from 1 to 10 years old undergoing whole-body PET/CT examinations.

Laser additive manufacturing is an established and constantly developing technique. Structural assessment should be a key component to ensure directed evolution towards higher level of manufacturing. The macroscopic properties of metallic structures are determined by their internal microscopic features, which are difficult to assess using conventional surface measuring methodologies. X-ray microtomography (CT) is a promising technique for three-dimensional non-destructive probing of internal composition and build of various materials. Aim of this study is to define the possibilities of using CTscanning as quality control method in LAM fabricated parts. Since the parts fabricated with LAM are very often used in high quality and accuracy demanding applications in various industries such as medical and aerospace, it is important to be able to define the accuracy of the build parts. The tubular stainless steel test specimens were 3D modelled, manufactured with a modified research AM equipment and imaged after manufacturing with a high-power, high-resolution CT scanner. 3D properties, such as surface texture and the amount and distribution of internal pores, were also evaluated in this study. Surface roughness was higher on the interior wall of the tube, and deviation from the model was systematically directed towards the central axis. Pore distribution showed clear organization and divided into two populations; one following the polygon model seams along both rims, and the other being associated with the concentric and equidistant movement path of the laser. Assessment of samples can enhance the fabrication by guiding the improvement of both modelling and manufacturing process.

Silent infarcts (SIs) are common findings in stroke patients, but their clinical significance remains controversial. Aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of SI in consecutive stroke patients, characteristics, associated factors, and influence on in-hospital mortality. The population consisted of 191 patients, consecutively admitted for an acute stroke. Of 191 patients, 74 had SI on CT-scan. Silent infarcts were often multiple, right sided, lacunar. We found SI more frequently in older patients, smokers, with an ischemic stroke having small vessel disease as presumed cause. In our study SI were associated with ageing, smoke habit and lacunar stroke. Silent infarcts size influenced the rate of in-hospital mortality.

Serial CTscans were made in baboons after cerebral embolization during stable Xe inhalation for measuring local values for CBF and lambda (brain-blood partition or solubility coefficients), followed by iodine infusion for detecting blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage. Persistent zones of zero flow surrounded by reduced flow were measured predominantly in subcortical regions, which showed gross and microscopic evidence of infarction at necropsy. Overlying cortex was relatively spared. Reduced lambda values attributed to edema appeared within 3 to 5 minutes and progressed up to 60 minutes. Damage to BBB with visible transvascular seepage of iodine began to appear 1 to 1 1/2 hours after embolism. In chronic animals, lambda values were persistently reduced in areas showing histologic infarction. Contralateral hemispheric CBF increased for the first 15 minutes after embolism, followed by progressive reduction after 30 minutes (diaschisis).

Although nowadays widely spread for imaging and treatments uses, HIFU techniques are still limited by the distortion of the wavefront due to refraction and reflection on the inhomogeneous media inside the human body. CT-scan Time Reversal (TR) procedure has risen as a promising candidate for focus control. A finite difference time domain parallelized code is used to provide simulations of TR-enhanced propagation through elements of the human body and implement a simple algorithm to address the issue of grating lobes, i.e secondary peaks of pressure due to natural diffraction by phased arrays and enhanced by medium heterogeneity. Using an iterative, progressive process combining secondary sound sources and independent signal summation, the primary peak is strengthened while secondary peaks are increasingly obliterated. This method supports the feasibility of precise modification and enhancement of the pressure profile in the targeted area through Time Reversal based solutions.

We present a case of an incidentally detected squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx on Ga-PSMA-11 PET. A 71-year-old man's condition was diagnosed as prostate carcinoma after a year of rising serum prostate-specific antigen. The staging Ga-PSMA PET/CT demonstrated focal radiotracer uptake in the prostate corresponding to his known primary prostate cancer. However, a PSMA-avid 3.4-cm mass was incidentally found in the right tongue base that was biopsied, confirming squamous cell carcinoma.

We present a complete automatic system to extract 3D centerlines of ribs from thoracic CTscans. Our rib centerline system determines the positional information for the rib cage consisting of extracted rib centerlines, spinal canal centerline, pairing and labeling of ribs. We show an application of this output to produce an enhanced visualization of the rib cage by the method of Kiraly et al., in which the ribs are digitally unfolded along their centerlines. The centerline extraction consists of three stages: (a) pre-trace processing for rib localization, (b) rib centerline tracing, and (c) post-trace processing to merge the rib traces. Then we classify ribs from non-ribs and determine anatomical rib labeling. Our novel centerline tracing technique uses the Random Walker algorithm to segment the structural boundary of the rib in successive 2D cross sections orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the ribs. Then the rib centerline is progressively traced along the rib using a 3D Kalman filter. The rib centerline extraction framework was evaluated on 149 CT datasets with varying slice spacing, dose, and under a variety of reconstruction kernels. The results of the evaluation are presented. The extraction takes approximately 20 seconds on a modern radiology workstation and performs robustly even in the presence of partial volume effects or rib pathologies such as bone metastases or fractures, making the system suitable for assisting clinicians in expediting routine rib reading for oncology and trauma applications.

Background Prediction rules for intracranial traumatic findings in patients with minor head injury are designed to reduce the use of computed tomography (CT) without missing patients at risk for complications. This study investigates whether alternative modelling techniques might improve the applicability and simplicity of such prediction rules. Methods We included 3181 patients with minor head injury who had received CTscans between February 2002 and August 2004. Of these patients 243 (7.6%) had intracranial traumatic findings and 17 (0.5%) underwent neurosurgical intervention. We analyzed sensitivity, specificity and area under the ROC curve (AUC-value) to compare the performance of various modelling techniques by 10 × 10 cross-validation. The techniques included logistic regression, Bayes network, Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID), neural net, support vector machines, Classification And Regression Trees (CART) and "decision list" models. Results The cross-validated performance was best for the logistic regression model (AUC 0.78), followed by the Bayes network model and the neural net model (both AUC 0.74). The other models performed poorly (AUC < 0.70). The advantage of the Bayes network model was that it provided a graphical representation of the relationships between the predictors and the outcome. Conclusions No alternative modelling technique outperformed the logistic regression model. However, the Bayes network model had a presentation format which provided more detailed insights into the structure of the prediction problem. The search for methods with good predictive performance and an attractive presentation format should continue. PMID:22026551

Background and purpose It is known that fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography (CT) segmentation algorithms have an impact on the metabolic tumor volume (MTV). This leads to some uncertainties in PET/CT guidance of tumor radiotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of segmentation algorithms on the PET/CT-based MTV and their correlations with the gross tumor volumes (GTVs) of cervical primary squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and methods Fifty-five patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage Ia∼IIb and histologically proven cervical squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled. A fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CTscan was performed before definitive surgery. GTV was measured on surgical specimens. MTVs were estimated on PET/CTscans using different segmentation algorithms, including a fixed percentage of the maximum standardized uptake value (20∼60% SUVmax) threshold and iterative adaptive algorithm. We divided all patients into four different groups according to the SUVmax within target volume. The comparisons of absolute values and percentage differences between MTVs by segmentation and GTV were performed in different SUVmax subgroups. The optimal threshold percentage was determined from MTV20%∼MTV60%, and was correlated with SUVmax. The correlation of MTViterative adaptive with GTV was also investigated. Results MTV50% and MTV60% were similar to GTV in the SUVmax up to 5 (P>0.05). MTV30%∼MTV60% were similar to GTV (P>0.05) in the 50.05) in the 100.05) in the SUVmax of at least 15 group. MTViterative adaptive was similar to GTV in both total and different SUVmax groups (P>0.05). Significant differences were observed among the fixed percentage method and the optimal threshold percentage was inversely correlated with SUVmax. The iterative adaptive segmentation algorithm led

This work deals with development of algorithm for physical replication of patient specific human bone and construction of corresponding implants/inserts RP models by using Reverse Engineering approach from non-invasive medical images for surgical purpose. In medical field, the volumetric data i.e. voxel and triangular facet based models are primarily used for bio-modelling and visualization, which requires huge memory space. On the other side, recent advances in Computer Aided Design (CAD) technology provides additional facilities/functions for design, prototyping and manufacturing of any object having freeform surfaces based on boundary representation techniques. This work presents a process to physical replication of 3D rapid prototyping (RP) physical models of human bone from various CAD modeling techniques developed by using 3D point cloud data which is obtained from non-invasive CT/MRI scans in DICOM 3.0 format. This point cloud data is used for construction of 3D CAD model by fitting B-spline curves through these points and then fitting surface between these curve networks by using swept blend techniques. This process also can be achieved by generating the triangular mesh directly from 3D point cloud data without developing any surface model using any commercial CAD software. The generated STL file from 3D point cloud data is used as a basic input for RP process. The Delaunay tetrahedralization approach is used to process the 3D point cloud data to obtain STL file. CTscan data of Metacarpus (human bone) is used as the case study for the generation of the 3D RP model. A 3D physical model of the human bone is generated on rapid prototyping machine and its virtual reality model is presented for visualization. The generated CAD model by different techniques is compared for the accuracy and reliability. The results of this research work are assessed for clinical reliability in replication of human bone in medical field.

The chorda tympani nerve (CTN) is the last collateral branch of the facial nerve in its third intraosseous portion just over the stylomastoid foramen. After a curved course against the medial aspect of the tympanum where it is likely to be injured in middle ear surgery, CTN reaches the lingual nerve in the infratemporal fossa. Knowledge of CTN topographic anatomy is not easily achieved by the students because of the deep location of this thin structure. The aim of this study was to assess the spatial relationships of the CTN in the infratemporal fossa. Therefore, ten nerves were dissected in five fresh cadavers. All the nerves were catheterized with a 3/0 wire. After a meticulous repositioning of surrounding structures, standard X-ray and CTscan examinations were performed with multiplanar acquisitions and three-dimensional surface rendering reconstructions. Ventral projection of the CTN corresponded to the middle of the maxillary sinus. Lateral landmark was the mandibular condyle. The CTN was present and unique in all the dissections. The average length of the nerve, as measured on CTscans, was 31.8 mm (29-34, standard deviation of 1.62); the anastomosis of the CTN to the lingual nerve was located at a mean 24.9 mm below the skull base (24-27, standard deviation of 0.99), approximately in the same horizontal plane as the lower part of the mandibular notch. The acute angle opened dorsally and cranially between CTN and LN measured mean 63.2° (60-65, standard deviation of 1.67). Three-dimensional volumetric reconstructions using surface rendering technique provided realistic educational support at the students' disposal.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in developed countries. The concurrent detection of heart diseases during low-dose whole-lung CTscans (LDCT), typically performed as part of a screening protocol, hinges on the accurate quantification of coronary calcification. The creation of fully automated methods is ideal as complete manual evaluation is imprecise, operator dependent, time consuming and thus costly. The technical challenges posed by LDCT scans in this context are mainly twofold. First, there is a high level image noise arising from the low radiation dose technique. Additionally, there is a variable amount of cardiac motion blurring due to the lack of electrocardiographic gating and the fact that heart rates differ between human subjects. As a consequence, the reliable segmentation of the heart, the first stage toward the implementation of morphologic heart abnormality detection, is also quite challenging. An automated computer method based on a sequential labeling of major organs and determination of anatomical landmarks has been evaluated on a public database of LDCT images. The novel algorithm builds from a robust segmentation of the bones and airways and embodies a stepwise refinement starting at the top of the lungs where image noise is at its lowest and where the carina provides a good calibration landmark. The segmentation is completed at the inferior wall of the heart where extensive image noise is accommodated. This method is based on the geometry of human anatomy and does not involve training through manual markings. Using visual inspection by an expert reader as a gold standard, the algorithm achieved successful heart and major vessel segmentation in 42 of 45 low-dose CT images. In the 3 remaining cases, the cardiac base was over segmented due to incorrect hemidiaphragm localization.

Analysing osteolytic and osteoblastic bone lesions in systematically affected skeletons, e.g. in multiple myeloma or bone metastasis, is a complex task. Quantification of the degree of bone destruction needs segmentation of all lesions but cannot be managed manually. Automatic bone lesion detection is necessary. Our future objective is comparing modified bones with healthy shape models. For applying model based strategies successfully, identification and position information of single bones is necessary. A solution to these requirements based on bone medullary cavities is presented in this paper. Medullary cavities are useful for shape model positioning since they have similar position and orientation as the bone itself but can be separated more easily. Skeleton segmentation is done by simple thresholding. Inside the skeleton medullary cavities are segmented by a flood filling algorithm. The filled regions are considered as medullary cavity objects. To provide automatic shape model selection, medullary cavity objects are assigned to bone structures with pattern recognition. To get a good starting position for shape models, principal component analysis of medullary cavities is performed. Bone identification was tested on 14 whole-body low-dose CTscans of multiple myeloma patients. Random forest classification assigns medullary cavities of long bones to the corresponding bone (overall accuracy 90%). Centroid and first principal component of medullary cavity are sufficiently similar to those of bone (mean centroid difference 21.7 mm, mean difference angle 1.54° for all long bones of one example patient) and therefore suitable for shape model initialization. This method enables locating long bone structures in whole-body CTscans and provides useful information for a reasonable shape model initialization.

Seven patients with known carcinoma of the larynx underwent computed tomography (CT) of the larynx prior to surgery. Whole-mount sections of the extirpated larynx cut in the horizontal plane were compared with the corresponding level of the preoperaive CT sections to demonstrate the validity of CTscanning in the evaluation of tumors of the larynx. The results indicate that CTscanning accurately demonstrates the anatomic location and gross size of laryngeal tumor, although early invasion of the laryngeal cartilages may be difficult to diagnose with CT. It is concluded that preoperative CTscanning of the larynx is the radiologic procedure of choice for evaluating carcinoma of the larynx.

Dynamic myocardial perfusion CT (DMP-CT) imaging provides quantitative functional information for diagnosis and risk stratification of coronary artery disease by calculating myocardial perfusion hemodynamic parameter (MPHP) maps. However, the level of radiation delivered by dynamic sequential scan protocol can be potentially high. The purpose of this work is to develop a pre-contrast normal-dose scan induced structure tensor total variation regularization based on the penalized weighted least-squares (PWLS) criteria to improve the image quality of DMP-CT with a low-mAs CT acquisition. For simplicity, the present approach was termed as ‘PWLS-ndiSTV’. Specifically, the ndiSTV regularization takes into account the spatial-temporal structure information of DMP-CT data and further exploits the higher order derivatives of the objective images to enhance denoising performance. Subsequently, an effective optimization algorithm based on the split-Bregman approach was adopted to minimize the associative objective function. Evaluations with modified dynamic XCAT phantom and preclinical porcine datasets have demonstrated that the proposed PWLS-ndiSTV approach can achieve promising gains over other existing approaches in terms of noise-induced artifacts mitigation, edge details preservation, and accurate MPHP maps calculation.

NUT midline carcinoma (NMC) is a newly defined and lethal cancer with aggressive course. It mostly affects children and young adults. Diagnosis is confirmed with the evidence of BRD4-NUT mutation on the chromosome 15q14 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Use of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in NMC patients is very limited in the literature. In this report, we describe a 7-year-old boy with the diagnosis of NMC who was scanned with (18)F-FDG PET/CT for staging and treatment response evaluation after the chemotherapy. It was disseminated and had moderate FDG avidity in the initial scan and showed progression after 4 cycles of chemotherapy. We also reviewed the literature related to (18)F-FDG PET/CT in staging and assessment of chemotherapy response of NMC.

The article aims to determine if a prospective acquisition algorithm can be used to find the ideal set of free-breathing phases for fast-helical model-based 4D-CT. A retrospective five-patient dataset that consisted of 25 repeated free breathing CTscans per patient was used. The sum of the square root amplitude difference between all the breathing phases was defined as an objective function to determine the optimality of sets of breathing phases. The objective function was intended to determine if a specific set of breathing phases would yield a motion model that could accurately predict the motion in all 25 CTscans. Voxel specific motion models were calculated using all combinations of N scans from 25 breathing trajectories, (3 ⩽ N ⩽ 25), and the minimum number of scans required to absolutely characterize the motion model was analyzed. This analysis suggests that the number of scans could potentially be reduced to as few as five scans. When the objective function was large, the resulting motion model provided an excellent approximation to the motion model created using all 25 scans.

Vertebral strength, as estimated by finite element analysis of computed tomography (CT) scans, has not yet been compared against areal bone mineral density (BMD) by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for prospectively assessing the risk of new clinical vertebral fractures. To do so, we conducted a case-cohort analysis of 306 men aged 65 yrs and older, which included 63 men who developed new clinically-identified vertebral fractures and 243 men who did not, all observed over an average of 6.5 years. Non-linear finite element analysis was performed on the baseline CTscans, blinded to fracture status, to estimate L1 vertebral compressive strength and a load-to-strength ratio. Volumetric BMD by quantitative CT and areal BMD by DXA were also evaluated. We found that, for the risk of new clinical vertebral fracture, the age-adjusted hazard ratio per standard deviation change for areal BMD (3.2; 95% CI: 2.0–5.2) was significantly lower (p<0.005) than for strength (7.2; 3.6–14.1), numerically lower than for volumetric BMD (5.7; 3.1–10.3), and similar for the load-to-strength ratio (3.0; 2.1–4.3). After also adjusting for race, BMI, clinical center, and areal BMD, all these hazard ratios remained highly statistically significant, particularly those for strength (8.5; 3.6–20.1) and volumetric BMD (9.4; 4.1–21.6). The area-under-the-curve for areal BMD (AUC=0.76) was significantly lower than for strength (AUC=0.83, p=0.02), volumetric BMD (AUC=0.82, p=0.05), and the load-to-strength ratio (AUC=0.82, p=0.05). We conclude that, compared to areal BMD by DXA, vertebral compressive strength and volumetric BMD consistently improved vertebral fracture risk assessment in this cohort of elderly men. PMID:22190331

Purpose: The knowledge of longitudinal dose distribution provides the most direct view of the accumulated dose in computed tomography (CT) scanning. The purpose of this work was to perform a comprehensive study of dose distribution width and energy absorption with a wide range of subject sizes and beam irradiated lengths. Methods: Cumulative dose distribution along the z-axis was calculated based on the previously published CT dose equilibration data by Li, Zhang, and Liu [Med. Phys. 40, 031903 (10pp.) (2013)] and a mechanism for computing dose on axial lines by Li, Zhang, and Liu [Med. Phys. 39, 5347–5352 (2012)]. Full width at half maximum (FWHM), full width at tenth maximum (FWTM), the total energy (E) absorbed in a small cylinder of unit mass per centimeter square about the central or peripheral axis, and the energy (E{sub in}) absorbed inside irradiated length (L) were subsequently extracted from the dose distribution. Results: Extensive results of FWHM, FWTM, and E{sub in}/E were presented on the central and peripheral axes of infinitely long PMMA (diameters 6–50 cm) and water (diameters 6–55 cm) cylinders with L < 100 cm. FWHM was greater than the primary beam width only on the central axes of large phantoms and also with L ranging from a few centimeter to about 33 cm. FWTM generally increased with phantom diameter, and could be up to 32 cm longer than irradiated length, depending on L, phantom diameter and axis, but was insensitive to phantom material (PMMA or water). E{sub in}/E increased with L and asymptotically approached unity for large L. As phantom diameter increased, E{sub in}/E generally decreased, but asymptotically approached constant levels on the peripheral axes of large phantoms. A heuristic explanation of dose distribution width results was presented. Conclusions: This study enables the reader to gain a comprehensive view of dose distribution width and energy absorption and provides useful data for estimating doses to organs inside or

New noise reduction method for reducing dose of CTscans has been proposed. The new method is expected to address the major problems in the noise reduction algorithm, i.e. the decreasing in the spatial resolution of the image. The proposed method was developed by combining adaptive Wiener filtering and edge detection algorithms. The first step, the image was filtered with a Wiener filter. Separately, edge detection operation performed on the original image using the Prewitt method. The next step, a new image was generated based on the edge detection operation. At the edge area, the image was taken from the original image, while at the non-edge area, the image was taken from the image that had been filtered with a Wiener filter. The new method was tested on a CT image of the spatial resolution phantom, which was scanned by different current-time multiplication, namely 80, 130 and 200 mAs, while other exposure factors were kept in constant conditions. The spatial resolution phantom consists of six sets of bar pattern made of plexi-glass and separated at some distance by water. The new image quality assessed from the amount of noise and the magnitude of spatial resolution. Noise was calculated by determining the standard deviation of the homogeneous regions, while the spatial resolution was assessed by observation of the area sets of the bar pattern. In addition, to evaluate the performance of this new method has also been tested on patient CT images. From the measurements, the new method can reduce the noise to an average 64.85%, with a spatial resolution does not decrease significantly. Visually, the third set bar on the image phantom (the distance between the bar 1.0 mm) can still be distinguished, as well as on the original image. Meanwhile, if the image is only processed using Wiener filter, the second set bar (the distance between the bar 1.3 mm) are distinguishable. Testing this new method to patient image, its results in relatively the same. Thus, using this

We describe the imaging features of a metastatic superscan on gallium-68 Glu-NH-CO-NH-Lys-(Ahx)-[Ga-68(HBED-CC)], abbreviated as gallium-68-prostate-specific membrane antigen ((68)Ga-PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging. (68)Ga-PSMA is novel radiotracer undergoing evaluation for PET/CT imaging of prostate carcinoma. This patient had a superscan of metastases on conventional bone scintigraphy and was referred for (68)Ga-PSMA PET/CT to evaluate the feasibility of (177)Lu-PSMA therapy.

Objective: To summarize the radiological and clinical features of radiation-induced external auditory canal carcinomas (RIEACCs) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPCs) after radiation therapy. Methods: CT, MRI and clinical features in 16 patients with histologically proven RIEACCs were retrospectively reviewed. There were 2 females and 14 males, with a median age of 52.5 years at the time of diagnosis of RIEACC. Imaging parameters including lesion extent, size, margin, shape, bone destruction, adjacent structure invasion, density/signal intensity, and pattern and degree of enhancement were assessed. Clinical features including clinical staging, histological type, treatment and radiation dose (RD) of primary NPC as well as the histological type, staging of radiation-induced tumour and the latent period between NPC and RIT were recorded. Results: All patients had a single RIEACC. The lesions had a size of 3.5 ± 1.4 cm and were localized (n = 7) or extensive (n = 9). Most of the lesions were partially or ill defined with an irregular shape and had an intermediate density/signal pattern and moderate homogeneous enhancement. The latent period of RIEACCs ranged from 10 to 20 years in nine patients with a RD of 68–70 Gy; from 2 to 10 years in five patients with a RD of 68–74 Gy; and more than 20 years in two patients with a RD of 70 or 72 Gy. Conclusion: An external auditory canal (EAC) mass with homogeneous, intermediate CT density or signal intensity in patients with NPC after radiotherapy is highly suggestive of RIEACC, which should be included in the routine surveillance for patients with NPC after radiotherapy. Advances in knowledge: RIEACCs could occur as short as 2 years after radiotherapy in patients with NPC and have distinct features from otitis media and sarcomas. This EAC malignancy should be included in routine surveillance for patients with NPC after radiotherapy. PMID:25827205

Study Design A retrospective review of three-dimensional CTscan images and radiographs. Purpose To investigate the prevalence and morphologic features of ponticulus posticus in Koreans. Overview of Literature There has been little reported on the prevalence or morphologic characteristics of ponticulus posticus in Asians, predisposing them to vertebral artery injury during screw placement in the lateral mass of the atlas. Methods The presence and types of ponticulus posticus were investigated on 225 consecutive cervical three-dimensional CTscans and 312 consecutive digital lateral cephalometric head radiographs. Results Various spectra of ponticulus posticus were found in 26% of the CTscans and 14% of the radiographs. Conclusions Ponticulus posticus is a relatively common anomaly in Koreans. Therefore, the presence of this anomaly should be carefully examined for on radiographs before lateral mass screw placement. If ponticulus posticus is suspected or confirmed on radiographs, three-dimensional CTscanning should be considered before placement of lateral mass screws into the posterior arch, especially given its wide variation of size and shape. PMID:20411149

Radiological images show anatomical structures in multiple planes and may be effective for teaching anatomical spatial relationships, something that students often find difficult to master. This study tests the hypotheses that (1) the use of cadaveric computed tomography (CT) scans in the anatomy laboratory is positively associated with…

Summary Background Although CTscans are very useful clinically, potential cancer risks exist from associated ionising radiation, in particular for children who are more radiosensitive than adults. We aimed to assess the excess risk of leukaemia and brain tumours after CTscans in a cohort of children and young adults. Methods In our retrospective cohort study, we included patients without previous cancer diagnoses who were first examined with CT in National Health Service (NHS) centres in England, Wales, or Scotland (Great Britain) between 1985 and 2002, when they were younger than 22 years of age. We obtained data for cancer incidence, mortality, and loss to follow-up from the NHS Central Registry from Jan 1, 1985, to Dec 31, 2008. We estimated absorbed brain and red bone marrow doses per CTscan in mGy and assessed excess incidence of leukaemia and brain tumours cancer with Poisson relative risk models. To avoid inclusion of CTscans related to cancer diagnosis, follow-up for leukaemia began 2 years after the first CT and for brain tumours 5 years after the first CT. Findings During follow-up, 74 of 178 604 patients were diagnosed with leukaemia and 135 of 176 587 patients were diagnosed with brain tumours. We noted a positive association between radiation dose from CTscans and leukaemia (excess relative risk [ERR] per mGy 0·036, 95% CI 0·005–0·120; p=0·0097) and brain tumours (0·023, 0·010–0·049; p<0·0001). Compared with patients who received a dose of less than 5 mGy, the relative risk of leukaemia for patients who received a cumulative dose of at least 30 mGy (mean dose 51·13 mGy) was 3·18 (95% CI 1·46–6·94) and the relative risk of brain cancer for patients who received a cumulative dose of 50–74 mGy (mean dose 60·42 mGy) was 2·82 (1·33–6·03). Interpretation Use of CTscans in children to deliver cumulative doses of about 50 mGy might almost triple the risk of leukaemia and doses of about 60 mGy might triple the risk of brain

Recently published AAPM Task Group 204 developed conversion coefficients that use scanner reported CTDIvol to estimate dose to the center of patient undergoing fixed tube current body exam. However, most performed CT exams use TCM to reduce dose to patients. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between organ dose and a variety of patient size metrics in adult chest CTscans that use tube current modulation (TCM). Monte Carlo simulations were performed for 32 voxelized models with contoured lungs and glandular breasts tissue, consisting of females and males. These simulations made use of patient's actual TCM data to estimate organ dose. Using image data, different size metrics were calculated, these measurements were all performed on one slice, at the level of patient's nipple. Estimated doses were normalized by scanner-reported CTDIvol and plotted versus different metrics. CTDIvol values were plotted versus different metrics to look at scanner's output versus size. The metrics performed similarly in terms of correlating with organ dose. Looking at each gender separately, for male models normalized lung dose showed a better linear correlation (r2=0.91) with effective diameter, while female models showed higher correlation (r2=0.59) with the anterior-posterior measurement. There was essentially no correlation observed between size and CTDIvol-normalized breast dose. However, a linear relationship was observed between absolute breast dose and size. Dose to lungs and breasts were consistently higher in females with similar size as males which could be due to shape and composition differences between genders in the thoracic region.

Introduction: The shoulder arthroplasty brings satisfaction to patients in terms of quality of life and indolence. However whether anatomic implant or reverse, it does not escape from the loosening of the glenoid component. Moreover, optimal implantation is required to ensure the functional outcome without shortening of the arm. The purpose of this study is obtain CTscan evaluation of the glenoid bone stock in order to optimize glenoid component implantation and obtain a reference to determine optimal humeral component placement in case of humeral proximal fracture. Materials and methods: Between 2010 and 2011 we have analyzed 200 intact shoulder’s CT. We measured maximal and minimal width in the transverse plane of the glenoid, the distance from the pectoralis major (PM) tendon to the humeral head, the greater tubercle, change of curvature and the anatomical neck. Results: Mean maximum width was 27.4 ± 3.4 mm and mean minimum width was 15.5 ± 2.8 mm. Distances between upper edge of PM tendon to: humeral head, greater tubercle, change of curvature and anatomical neck were respectively: 67.6 ± 9.98 mm, 57.8 ± 10.3 mm, 28.7 ± 9 mm, and 34.2 ± 9.7 mm. Conclusion: Our study has produced an assessment of glenoid bone stock for optimal positioning of the glenoid implant but also to obtain a reference to determine the ideal location of the humeral component in the case of proximal humerus fracture. PMID:27716461

Background: Increased size of kidney is the main symptom of pyelonephritis and renal ischemia in children. Ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scan methods are the imaging methods for evaluating the urogenital system. The aim of this study is to compare the kidney length obtained from spiral CTscan with the true length obtained from multi-slice CT. Materials and Methods: From 100 patients 200 kidneys were examined in Alzahra Hospital in 2012. Multi-slice CT was used to obtain coronal and sagittal cuts to find the length of kidneys. Results: The mean values of true size of axial sections of the right and left kidneys were 108.37 ± 12.3 mm and 109.74 ± 13.6 mm, respectively. The mean difference of axial sections’ lengths in the right and left kidneys was 1.37 ± 1.22 mm. The mean values of length in the spiral CTscan of the right and left kidneys were 98.61 ± 15.8 mm and 103.11 ± 15.9 mm, respectively. The difference in the estimated size by multi-slice CTscan in oblique and axial images was significant (9.77 ± 1.19 mm and 6.63 ± 0.8 mm for the right and left kidneys, respectively (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The average size of both kidneys determined in axial images was smaller than the actual size. The estimation of kidney size in axial images is not reliable, and to obtain the actual size, it is required to have the coronal and sagittal cuts with proper quality, which could be achieved by multi-slice method. PMID:25709984

Purpose: To characterize the effects of deformable image registration of serial computed tomography (CT) scans on the radiation dose calculated from a treatment planning scan. Methods: Eighteen patients who received curative doses (≥60 Gy, 2 Gy/fraction) of photon radiation therapy for lung cancer treatment were retrospectively identified. For each patient, a diagnostic-quality pretherapy (4–75 days) CTscan and a treatment planning scan with an associated dose map were collected. To establish correspondence between scan pairs, a researcher manually identified anatomically corresponding landmark point pairs between the two scans. Pretherapy scans then were coregistered with planning scans (and associated dose maps) using the demons deformable registration algorithm and two variants of the Fraunhofer MEVIS algorithm (“Fast” and “EMPIRE10”). Landmark points in each pretherapy scan were automatically mapped to the planning scan using the displacement vector field output from each of the three algorithms. The Euclidean distance between manually and automatically mapped landmark points (d{sub E}) and the absolute difference in planned dose (|ΔD|) were calculated. Using regression modeling, |ΔD| was modeled as a function of d{sub E}, dose (D), dose standard deviation (SD{sub dose}) in an eight-pixel neighborhood, and the registration algorithm used. Results: Over 1400 landmark point pairs were identified, with 58–93 (median: 84) points identified per patient. Average |ΔD| across patients was 3.5 Gy (range: 0.9–10.6 Gy). Registration accuracy was highest using the Fraunhofer MEVIS EMPIRE10 algorithm, with an average d{sub E} across patients of 5.2 mm (compared with >7 mm for the other two algorithms). Consequently, average |ΔD| was also lowest using the Fraunhofer MEVIS EMPIRE10 algorithm. |ΔD| increased significantly as a function of d{sub E} (0.42 Gy/mm), D (0.05 Gy/Gy), SD{sub dose} (1.4 Gy/Gy), and the algorithm used (≤1 Gy). Conclusions: An

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to utilize F-18 FDG PET/CTscans to determine an indicator for the response of esophageal cancer patients during radiation therapy. There is a need for such an indicator since local failures are quite common in esophageal cancer patients despite modern treatment techniques. If an indicator is found, a patient's treatment strategy may be altered to possibly improve the outcome. This is investigated with various standard uptake volume (SUV) metrics along with image texture features. The metrics and features showing the most promise and indicating response are used in logistic regression analysis to find an equation for the prediction of response. Materials and Methods: 28 patients underwent F-18 FDG PET/CTscans prior to the start of radiation therapy (RT). A second PET/CTscan was administered following the delivery of ~32 Gray (Gy) of dose. A physician contoured gross tumor volume (GTV) was used to delineate a PET based GTV (GTV-pre-PET) based on a threshold of >40% and >20% of the maximum SUV value in the GTV. Deformable registration was used in VelocityAI software to register the pre-treatment and intra-treatment CTscans so that the GTV-pre-PET contours could be transferred from the pre to intra scans (GTV-intra-PET). The fractional decrease in the maximum, mean, volume to the highest intensity 10%-90%, and combination SUV metrics of the significant previous SUV metrics were compared to post-treatment pathologic response for an indication of response. Next for the >40% threshold, texture features based on a neighborhood gray-tone dimension matrix (NGTDM) were analyzed. The fractional decrease in coarseness, contrast, busyness, complexity, and texture strength were compared to the pathologic response of the patients. From these previous two types of analysis, SUV and texture features, the two most significant results were used in logistic regression analysis to find an equation to predict the probability of a non

The goal of this work was to determine the light dose required to induce necrosis in verteporfin-based photodynamic therapy, in the VERTPAC-1 trial. Patient CTscans were obtained of the abdomen, including the entire treatment zone of pancreas and surrounding tissues, before and after treatment, as well as fast scans during needle placement. These scans were used to estimate arterial and venous blood content, and provide structural information of the pancreas and nearby blood vessels. Using NIRFAST, a finite-element based package for modeling diffuse near-infrared light transport in tissue, simulations were run to create maps of light fluence within the pancreas. These maps provided visualizations of light dose overlaid on the original CTscans, and were used to estimate light dose at the boundary of the zone of necrosis, as observed in follow up treatment outcome CTscans. The aim of these simulation studies was to assist pre-treatment planning by informing the light treatment parameters. This paper presents a case study of the process used on a single patient.

This study compared the SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) images before and after applying an attenuation correction by using the CT (computed tomography) image in a SPECT/CTscan and examined depending of the change in image quality on the CT dose. A flangeless Esser PET (positron emission tomography) Phantom was used to evaluate the image quality for the Precedence 16 SPECT/CT system manufactured by Philips. The experimental method was to obtain a SPECT image and a CT image of a flangeless Esser PET Phantom to acquire an attenuation-corrected SPECT image. A ROI (region of interest) was then set up at a hot spot of the acquired image to measure the SNR (signal to noise ratio) and the FWHM (full width at half maximum) and to compare the image quality with that of an unattenuation-corrected SPECT image. To evaluate the quality of a SPECT image, we set the ROI as a cylinder diameter (25, 16, 12, and 8 mm) and the BKG (background) radioactivity of the phantom images was obtained when each CT condition was changed. Subsequently, the counts were compared to measure the SNR. The FWHM of the smallest cylinder (8 mm) was measured to compare the image quality. A comparison of the SPECT images with and without attenuation correction revealed 5.01-fold, 4.77 fold, 4.43-fold, 4.38-fold, and 5.13-fold differences in SNR for the 25-mm cylinder, 16-mm cylinder, 12-mm cylinder, 8-mm cylinder, and BKG, respectively. In the phantom image obtained when the CT dose was changed, the FWHM of the 8-mm cylinder showed almost no difference under each condition regardless of the changes in kVp and mAs.

PurposeThis study was designed to compare the accuracy of targeting and the radiation dose of bone biopsies performed either under fluoroscopic guidance using a cone-beam CT with real-time 3D image fusion software (FP-CBCT-guidance) or under conventional computed tomography guidance (CT-guidance).MethodsSixty-eight consecutive patients with a bone lesion were prospectively included. The bone biopsies were scheduled under FP-CBCT-guidance or under CT-guidance according to operating room availability. Thirty-four patients underwent a bone biopsy under FP-CBCT and 34 under CT-guidance. We prospectively compared the two guidance modalities for their technical success, accuracy, puncture time, and pathological success rate. Patient and physician radiation doses also were compared.ResultsAll biopsies were technically successful, with both guidance modalities. Accuracy was significantly better using FP-CBCT-guidance (3 and 5 mm respectively: p = 0.003). There was no significant difference in puncture time (32 and 31 min respectively, p = 0.51) nor in pathological results (88 and 88 % of pathological success respectively, p = 1). Patient radiation doses were significantly lower with FP-CBCT (45 vs. 136 mSv, p CT-guidance (27 vs. 59 %, p = 0.01).ConclusionsFP-CBCT-guidance for bone biopsy is accurate and reduces patient and operator radiation doses compared with CT-guidance.

Target definition is the largest source of geometric uncertainty in radiation therapy. This is partly due to a lack of contrast between tumor and healthy soft tissue for computed tomography (CT) and due to blurriness, lower spatial resolution, and lack of a truly quantitative unit for positron emission tomography (PET). First-, second-, and higher-order statistics, Tamura, and structural features were characterized for PET and CT images of lung carcinoma and organs of the thorax. A combined decision tree (DT) with K-nearest neighbours (KNN) classifiers as nodes containing combinations of 3 features were trained and used for segmentation of the gross tumor volume. This approach was validated for 31 patients from two separate institutions and scanners. The results were compared with thresholding approaches, the fuzzy clustering method, the 3-level fuzzy locally adaptive Bayesian algorithm, the multivalued level set algorithm, and a single KNN using Hounsfield units and standard uptake value. The results showed the DTKNN classifier had the highest sensitivity of 73.9%, second highest average Dice coefficient of 0.607, and a specificity of 99.2% for classifying voxels when using a probabilistic ground truth provided by simultaneous truth and performance level estimation using contours drawn by 3 trained physicians.

Target definition is the largest source of geometric uncertainty in radiation therapy. This is partly due to a lack of contrast between tumor and healthy soft tissue for computed tomography (CT) and due to blurriness, lower spatial resolution, and lack of a truly quantitative unit for positron emission tomography (PET). First-, second-, and higher-order statistics, Tamura, and structural features were characterized for PET and CT images of lung carcinoma and organs of the thorax. A combined decision tree (DT) with K-nearest neighbours (KNN) classifiers as nodes containing combinations of 3 features were trained and used for segmentation of the gross tumor volume. This approach was validated for 31 patients from two separate institutions and scanners. The results were compared with thresholding approaches, the fuzzy clustering method, the 3-level fuzzy locally adaptive Bayesian algorithm, the multivalued level set algorithm, and a single KNN using Hounsfield units and standard uptake value. The results showed the DTKNN classifier had the highest sensitivity of 73.9%, second highest average Dice coefficient of 0.607, and a specificity of 99.2% for classifying voxels when using a probabilistic ground truth provided by simultaneous truth and performance level estimation using contours drawn by 3 trained physicians. PMID:23533750

Purpose: To analyze the variation of sketching the parotid for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who underwent radiotherapy based on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance(MR) images. Methods: 41 nasopharyngeal cancer patients were randomly selected. Each patient underwent MR and CTscanning. The Gross Tumor Volume and Organs at risk were contoured on both contrasted CT and T1-MR images. For each patient, one radiotherapist sketched the parotid on CT and MR images for 10 times, and 10 different radiotherapists were asked to sketching the parotid on CT and MR images only one time. The inter- and intra-observers volumes and outline variations were compared. Results: The volumes of parotid contoured by inter-observer on CT and MR images were 34.6±12.1cm{sup 3}(left),34.3±9.0cm{sup 3}(right) and 24.6±7.6cm{sup 3}(L),23.2±8.1cm{sup 3}(R); In the same way, for intra-observer on CT and MR images the volumes were 28.2±7.6cm{sup 3}(L),29.4±9.4cm{sup 3}(R) and 24.4±7.6cm{sup 3}(L),22.5±7.4cm{sup 3}(R), respectively. The variable ratios of volume on MR images were 4.7±0.7%(L),5.0±0.6%(R) for inter-observer and 2.3±0.4%(L),2.1±0.7%(R) for intra-observer. Similarly, The inter- and intra-observer ratios for contouring on CT images reached 18.0±4.8%(L),17.4±4.6%(R) and 6.3±1.5%(L),6.8±1.5%(R), respectively. Conclusion: Contouring the parotids on MR images was more accurate and reproducible than that on CT images.

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and extent of brain anomalies in a large sample of incarcerated violent offenders not previously considered neuropsychiatrically ill, in comparison with non-violent offenders and non-offending controls. MRI and CT brain scans from 287 male prison inmates (162 violent and 125 non-violent) not diagnosed as mentally ill before that were obtained due to headache, vertigo or psychological complaints during imprisonment were assessed and compared to 52 non-criminal controls. Brain scans were rated qualitatively with respect to evidence of structural brain damage. Each case received a semiquantitative rating of "normal" (=0), "questionably abnormal" (=1) or "definitely abnormal" (=2) for the lateral ventricles, frontal/parietal cortex and medial temporal structures bilaterally as well as third ventricle. Overall, offenders displayed a significantly higher rate of morphological abnormality, with the violent offenders scoring significantly higher than non-violent offenders and controls. This difference was statistically detectable for frontal/parietal cortex, medial temporal structures, third ventricle and the left but not the right lateral ventricle. The remarkable prevalence of brain pathology in convicted violent prisoners detectable by neuroradiological routine assessment not only highlights the importance of frontal and temporal structures in the control of social, and specifically of violent behaviour, but also raises questions on the legal culpability of violent offenders with brain abnormalities. The high proportion of undetected presence of structural brain damage emphasizes the need that in violent criminals, the comprehensive routine neuropsychiatric assessment usually performed in routine forensic psychiatric expertises should be complemented with brain imaging.

In previous investigations on CT image quality, channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) models have been shown to well represent human observer performance in several phantom-based detection/discrimination tasks. In these studies, a large number of independent images was necessary to estimate the expectation images and covariance matrices for each test condition. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the number of repeated scans affects the precision and accuracy of the CHO's performance in a signal-known-exactly detection task. A phantom containing 21 low-contrast objects (3 contrast levels and 7 sizes) was scanned with a 128-slice CT scanner at three dose levels. For each dose level, 100 independent images were acquired for each test condition. All images were reconstructed using filtered-backprojection (FBP) and a commercial iterative reconstruction algorithm. For each combination of dose level and reconstruction method, the low-contrast detectability, quantified with the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (Az), was calculated using a previously validated CHO model. To determine the dependency of CHO performance on the number of repeated scans, the Az value was calculated for different number of channel filters, for each object size and contrast, and for different dose/reconstruction settings using all 100 repeated scans. The Az values were also calculated using randomly selected subsets of the scans (from 10 to 90 scans with an increment of 10 scans). Using the Az from the 100 scans as the reference, the accuracy of Az values calculated from a fewer number of scans was determined and the minimal number of scans was subsequently derived. For the studied signal-known-exactly detection task, results demonstrated that, the minimal number of scans depends on dose level, object size and contrast level, and channel filters.

Euchambersia mirabilis is an iconic species of Permo-Triassic therapsid because of its unusually large external maxillary fossa linked through a sulcus to a ridged canine. This anatomy led to the commonly accepted conclusion that the large fossa accommodated a venom gland. However, this hypothesis remains untested so far. Here, we conducted a μCTscan assisted reappraisal of the envenoming capacity of Euchambersia, with a special focus on the anatomy of the maxillary fossa and canines. This study shows that the fossa, presumably for the venom-producing gland, is directly linked to the maxillary canal, which carries the trigeminal nerve (responsible for the sensitivity of the face). The peculiar anatomy of the maxillary canal suggests important reorganisation in the somatosensory system and that a ganglion could possibly have been present in the maxillary fossa instead of a venom gland. Nevertheless, the venom gland hypothesis is still preferred since we describe, for the first time, the complete crown morphology of the incisiform teeth of Euchambersia, which strongly suggests that the complete dentition was ridged. Therefore Euchambersia manifests evidence of all characteristics of venomous animals: a venom gland (in the maxillary fossa), a mechanism to deliver the venom (the maxillary canal and/or the sulcus located ventrally to the fossa); and an apparatus with which to inflict a wound for venom delivery (the ridged dentition). PMID:28187210

In vivo tomographic imaging of the fluorescence pharmacokinetic parameters in tissues can provide additional specific and quantitative physiological and pathological information to that of fluorescence concentration. This modality normally requires a highly-sensitive diffuse fluorescence tomography (DFT) working in dynamic way to finally extract the pharmacokinetic parameters from the measured pharmacokinetics-associated temporally-varying boundary intensity. This paper is devoted to preliminary experimental validation of our proposed direct reconstruction scheme of instantaneous sampling based pharmacokinetic-DFT: A highly-sensitive DFT system of CT-scanning mode working with parallel four photomultiplier-tube photon-counting channels is developed to generate an instantaneous sampling dataset; A direct reconstruction scheme then extracts images of the pharmacokinetic parameters using the adaptive-EKF strategy. We design a dynamic phantom that can simulate the agent metabolism in living tissue. The results of the dynamic phantom experiments verify the validity of the experiment system and reconstruction algorithms, and demonstrate that system provides good resolution, high sensitivity and quantitativeness at different pump speed.

We describe here a co-occurrence (i.e. a syninclusion) of ants and termites in a piece of Mexican amber (Totolapa deposit, Chiapas), whose importance is two-fold. First, this finding suggests at least a middle Miocene antiquity for the modern, though poorly documented, relationship between Azteca ants and Nasutitermes termites. Second, the presence of a Neivamyrmex army ant documents an in situ raiding behaviour of the same age and within the same community, confirmed by the fact that the army ant is holding one of the termite worker between its mandibles and by the presence of a termite with bitten abdomen. In addition, we present how CT-scan imaging can be an efficient tool to describe the topology of resin flows within amber pieces, and to point out the different states of preservation of the embedded insects. This can help achieving a better understanding of taphonomical processes, and tests ethological and ecological hypotheses in such complex syninclusions. PMID:25140873

Together with race, stature and age, sex is a main component of the biological identity. Thanks to its proportional correlation with parts of the human body, sex can be evaluated form the skeleton. The most accurate approach to determine sex by bone size is based on os coxae or skull. After natural disaster their presence can never be guaranteed, therefore the development of methods of sex determination using other skeletal elements can result crucial. Herein, sexual dimorphism in the human scapula is used to develop a two-variable discriminant function for sex estimation. We have enrolled 100 males and 100 females who underwent thoracic CTscan evaluation and we have estimated two scapular diameters. The estimation has been carried out by analyzing images of the scapulae of each patient after three dimensional post-processing reconstructions. The two-variable function allows to obtain an overall accuracy of 88% on the calibration sample. Furthermore, we have employed the mentioned function on a collection of 10 individual test sample from the collection of the "Museo di Anatomia Umana di Firenze" of the Università degli Studi di Firenze; sex has been correctly predicted on 9 skeletons.

Facial reconstruction is a branch of forensic anthropology used to assist in the identification of skeletal remains. The majority of facial reconstruction techniques use facial soft tissue depth chart data to recreate facial tissue on a skull or a model of a skull through the use of modeling clay. This study relied on 193 subjects selected from the Taiwanese population on the basis of age and gender to determine the average values of 32 landmarks, include midline and bilateral measures, by means of CTscans. The mean age of the subjects was 46.9±16.4 years, with a mean age of 43.8±16.6 for males and 49.9±15.8 for females respectively. There were 16 landmarks with statistically significant differences between male and female subjects, namely S, G, N, Na, Ph, Sd and Id in the midline portion, FE, LO, ZA and Sub M2 in the bilateral-right and left portion, and IM point in the bilateral-left portion (abbreviations adapted from Karen T. Taylor's work). The mean soft tissue depth was greater in males than in females, and there was significant difference between the right and left sides of the face in Za point. This study's findings were compared with those of Bulut et al.

Station-labeling of mediastinal lymph nodes is typically performed to identify the location of enlarged nodes for cancer staging. Stations are usually assigned in clinical radiology practice manually by qualitative visual assessment on CTscans, which is time consuming and highly variable. In this paper, we developed a method that automatically recognizes the lymph node stations in thoracic CTscans based on the anatomical organs in the mediastinum. First, the trachea, lungs, and spines are automatically segmented to locate the mediastinum region. Then, eight more anatomical organs are simultaneously identified by multi-atlas segmentation. Finally, with the segmentation of those anatomical organs, we convert the text definitions of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) lymph node map into patient-specific color-coded CT image maps. Thus, a lymph node station is automatically assigned to each lymph node. We applied this system to CTscans of 86 patients with 336 mediastinal lymph nodes measuring equal or greater than 10 mm. 84.8% of mediastinal lymph nodes were correctly mapped to their stations.

Novel, multi-object X-ray computed tomography (CT) methodologies can individually analyse vacuum-packed meat samples scanned in batches of three or more, saving money and time compared to scanning live animals. If intramuscular fat (IMF), as a proxy for meat quality, can be predicted with similar accuracies as in live lambs, this method could be used to grade on quality, or to inform breeding programmes. Lamb loin cuts from commercial carcasses (n=303), varying in fat and conformation grade, were vacuum-packed and CTscanned, then tested for meat quality traits and by a trained taste panel. Tissue density values measured by CT, alongside carcass and loin weights, predicted IMF with moderate accuracy (R(2) 0.36), but did not accurately predict shear force or sensory traits. Juiciness and flavour increased linearly with IMF, whilst texture and overall liking increased to an optimum between 4 and 5% IMF. Samples predicted by CT as having >3% IMF scored significantly higher for sensory traits, than those predicted as <3% IMF.

Background Colorectal cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has played a positive role in colorectal cancer treatment. There is a great need to establish effective herbal formula for colorectal cancer treatment. Based on TCM principles and clinical practices, we have established an eight herbs composed formula for colorectal cancer treatment, which is Teng-Long-Bu-Zhong-Tang (TLBZT). We have demonstrated the anticancer effects of TLBZT against colorectal carcinoma in vitro. In present study, we evaluated the anticancer potential of TLBZT, used alone or in combination with low dose of 5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu), in CT26 colon carcinoma in vivo. Methods CT26 colon carcinoma was established in BALB/c mice and treated with TLBZT, 5-Fu, or TLBZT plus 5-Fu. The tumor volumes were observed. Apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay. Caspases activities were detected by colorimetric assay. Cell senescence was indentified by senescence β-galactosidase staining. Gene expression and angiogenesis was observed by immunohistochemistry or western blot. Results TLBZT significantly inhibited CT26 colon carcinoma growth. TLBZT elicited apoptosis in CT26 colon carcinoma, accompanied by Caspase-3, 8, and 9 activation and PARP cleavage, and downregulation of XIAP and Survivin. TLBZT also induced cell senescence in CT26 colon carcinoma, with concomitant upregulation of p16 and p21 and downregulation of RB phosphorylation. In addition, angiogenesis and VEGF expression in CT26 colon carcinoma was significantly inhibited by TLBZT treatment. Furthermore, TLBZT significantly enhanced anticancer effects of 5-Fu in CT26 colon carcinoma. Conclusions TLBZT exhibited significantly anticancer effect, and enhanced the effects of 5-Fu in CT26 colon carcinoma, which may correlate with induction of apoptosis and cell senescence, and angiogenesis inhibition. The present study provides new insight into TCM approaches for colon cancer treatment

Little was known with regard to the value of preoperative systemic restaging for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). This study was designed to evaluate the role of chest and abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on preoperative restaging in LARC after neoadjuvant CRT and to assess the impact on treatment strategy.Between January 2007 and April 2013, 386 newly diagnosed consecutive patients with LARC who underwent neoadjuvant CRT and received restaging with chest and abdominal CT/MRI scan were included. Imaging results before and after CRT were analyzed.Twelve patients (3.1%) (6 liver lesions, 2 peritoneal lesions, 2 distant lymph node lesions, 1 lung lesions, 1 liver and lung lesions) were diagnosed as suspicious metastases on the restaging scan after radiotherapy. Seven patients (1.8%) were confirmed as metastases by pathology or long-term follow-up. The treatment strategy was changed in 5 of the 12 patients as a result of restaging CT/MRI findings. Another 10 patients (2.6%) who present with normal restaging imaging findings were diagnosed as metastases intra-operatively. The sensitivity, specificity accuracy, negative predictive value, and positive predictive values of restaging CT/MRI was 41.4%, 98.6%, 58.3%, and 97.3%, respectively.The low incidence of metastases and minimal consequences for the treatment plan question the clinical value of routine restaging of chest and abdomen after neoadjuvant CRT. Based on this study, a routine restaging CT/MRI of chest and abdomen in patients with rectal cancer after neoadjuvant CRT is not advocated, carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) -guided CT/MRI restaging might be an alternative.

We evaluated the image registration accuracy achieved using two deformable registration algorithms when radiation-induced normal tissue changes were present between serial computed tomography (CT) scans. Two thoracic CTscans were collected for each of 24 patients who underwent radiation therapy (RT) treatment for lung cancer, eight of whom experienced radiologically evident normal tissue damage between pre- and post-RT scan acquisition. For each patient, 100 landmark point pairs were manually placed in anatomically corresponding locations between each pre- and post-RT scan. Each post-RT scan was then registered to the pre-RT scan using (1) the Plastimatch demons algorithm and (2) the Fraunhofer MEVIS algorithm. The registration accuracy for each scan pair was evaluated by comparing the distance between landmark points that were manually placed in the post-RT scans and points that were automatically mapped from pre- to post-RT scans using the displacement vector fields output by the two registration algorithms. For both algorithms, the registration accuracy was significantly decreased when normal tissue damage was present in the post-RT scan. Using the Plastimatch algorithm, registration accuracy was 2.4 mm, on average, in the absence of radiation-induced damage and 4.6 mm, on average, in the presence of damage. When the Fraunhofer MEVIS algorithm was instead used, registration errors decreased to 1.3 mm, on average, in the absence of damage and 2.5 mm, on average, when damage was present. This work demonstrated that the presence of lung tissue changes introduced following RT treatment for lung cancer can significantly decrease the registration accuracy achieved using deformable registration.

The purpose of this study was to validate a novel approach of applying a partial volume correction factor (PVCF) using a limited number of MOSFET detectors in the effective dose (E) calculation. The results of the proposed PVCF method were compared to the results from both the point dose (PD) method and a commercial CT dose estimation software (CT-Expo). To measure organ doses, an adult female anthropomorphic phantom was loaded with 20 MOSFET detectors and was scanned using the non-contrast and 2 phase contrast-enhanced parathyroid imaging protocols on a 64-slice multi-detector computed tomography scanner. E was computed by three methods: the PD method, the PVCF method, and the CT-Expo method. The E (in mSv) for the PD method, the PVCF method, and CT-Expo method was 2.6 ± 0.2, 1.3 ± 0.1, and 1.1 for the non-contrast scan, 21.9 ± 0.4, 13.9 ± 0.2, and 14.6 for the 1st phase of the contrast-enhanced scan, and 15.5 ± 0.3, 9.8 ± 0.1, and 10.4 for the 2nd phase of the contrast-enhanced scan, respectively. The E with the PD method differed from the PVCF method by 66.7% for the non-contrast scan, by 44.9% and by 45.5% respectively for the 1st and 2nd phases of the contrast-enhanced scan. The E with PVCF was comparable to the results from the CT-Expo method with percent differences of 15.8%, 5.0%, and 6.3% for the non-contrast scan and the 1st and 2nd phases of the contrast-enhanced scan, respectively. To conclude, the PVCF method estimated E within 16% difference as compared to 50-70% in the PD method. In addition, the results demonstrate that E can be estimated accurately from a limited number of detectors.

There is an increasing body of evidence establishing the advantages of dual-energy CT (DECT) for evaluation of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Focusing on a single-source DECT system with fast kVp switching, we will review the principles behind DECT and associated post-processing steps that make this technology especially suitable for HNSCC evaluation and staging. The article will review current applications of DECT for evaluation of HNSCC including use of different reconstructions to improve tumor conspicuity, tumor-normal soft tissue interface, accuracy of invasion of critical structures such as thyroid cartilage, and reduce dental artifact. We will provide a practical approach for DECT implementation into routine clinical use and a multi-parametric approach for scan interpretation based on the experience at our institution. The article will conclude with a brief overview of potential future applications of the technique.

We present a new algorithm that allows for raw data-based automated cardiac and respiratory intrinsic gating in cone-beam CTscans. It can be summarized in three steps: First, a median filter is applied to an initially reconstructed volume. The forward projection of this volume contains less motion information and is subtracted from the original projections. This results in new raw data that contain only moving and not static anatomy like bones, that would otherwise impede the cardiac or respiratory signal acquisition. All further steps are applied to these modified raw data. Second, the raw data are cropped to a region of interest (ROI). The ROI in the raw data is determined by the forward projection of a binary volume of interest (VOI) that includes the diaphragm for respiratory gating and most of the edge of the heart for cardiac gating. Third, the mean gray value in this ROI is calculated for every projection and the respiratory/cardiac signal is acquired using a bandpass filter. Steps two and three are carried out simultaneously for 64 or 1440 overlapping VOI inside the body for the respiratory or cardiac signal respectively. The signals acquired from each ROI are compared and the most consistent one is chosen as the desired cardiac or respiratory motion signal. Consistency is assessed by the standard deviation of the time between two maxima. The robustness and efficiency of the method is evaluated using simulated and measured patient data by computing the standard deviation of the mean signal difference between the ground truth and the intrinsic signal.

Purpose/Objective Prompted by preliminary findings, this study was conducted to investigate the impact of zoledronic acid on the cancellous bone microstructure and its effect on the level of β-catenin in a mouse model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Methods and Materials 96 8-week-old specific-pathogen-free C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (24 per group): a sham group, an ovariectomized osteoporosis model group, an estradiol-treated group, and a zoledronic acid-treated group. Five months after surgery, the third lumbar vertebra and left femur of the animals were dissected and scanned using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to acquire three-dimensional imagery of their cancellous bone microstructure. The impact of ovariectomy, the effect of estradiol, and the effect of zoledronic acid intervention on cancellous bone microstructure, as well as on the expression of β-catenin, were evaluated. Results The estradiol-treated and the zoledronic acid-treated group exhibited a significant increase in the bone volume fraction, trabecular number, trabecular thickness, bone surface to bone volume ratio (BS/BV), and β-catenin expression, when compared with those of the control group (P <0.01). In contrast, the structure model index, trabecular separation, and BS/BV were significantly lower compared with those of the model group (P <0.01). No differences were observed in the above parameters between animals of the zoledronic acid-treated and the estradiol-treated group. Conclusion These results suggest that increased β-catenin expression may be the mechanism underlying zoledronic acid-related improvement in the cancellous bone microstructure in ovariectomized mice. Our findings provide a scientific rationale for using zoledronic acid as a therapeutic intervention to prevent bone loss in post-menopausal women. PMID:26148020

Silica dust-exposed individuals are at high risk of developing silicosis, a fatal and incurable lung disease. The presence of disseminated micronodules on thoracic CT is the radiological hallmark of silicosis but locating micronodules, to identify subjects at risk, is tedious for human observers. We present a computer-aided detection scheme to automatically find micronodules and quantify micronodule load. The system used lung segmentation, template matching, and a supervised classification scheme. The system achieved a promising sensitivity of 84% at an average of 8.4 false positive marks per scan. In an independent data set of 54 CTscans in which we defined four risk categories, the CAD system automatically classified 83% of subjects correctly, and obtained a weighted kappa of 0.76.

In odontoid fracture research, outcome can be evaluated based on validated questionnaires, based on functional outcome in terms of atlantoaxial and total neck rotation, and based on the treatment-related union rate. Data on clinical and functional outcome are still sparse. In contrast, there is abundant information on union rates, although, frequently the rates differ widely. Odontoid union is the most frequently assessed outcome parameter and therefore it is imperative to investigate the interobserver reliability of fusion assessment using radiographs compared to CTscans. Our objective was to identify the diagnostic accuracy of plain radiographs in detecting union and non-union after odontoid fractures and compare this to CTscans as the standard of reference. Complete sets of biplanar plain radiographs and CTscans of 21 patients treated for odontoid fractures were subjected to interobserver assessment of fusion. Image sets were presented to 18 international observers with a mean experience in fusion assessment of 10.7 years. Patients selected had complete radiographic follow-up at a mean of 63.3 ± 53 months. Mean age of the patients at follow-up was 68.2 years. We calculated interobserver agreement of the diagnostic assessment using radiographs compared to using CTscans, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of the radiographic assessment. Agreement on the fusion status using radiographs compared to CTscans ranged between 62 and 90% depending on the observer. Concerning the assessment of non-union and fusion, the mean specificity was 62% and mean sensitivity was 77%. Statistical analysis revealed an agreement of 80–100% in 48% of cases only, between the biplanar radiographs and the reconstructed CTscans. In 50% of patients assessed there was an agreement of less than 80%. The mean sensitivity and specificity values indicate that radiographs are not a reliable measure to indicate odontoid fracture union or non-union. Regarding experience in years

Thirty-seven patients, found to have a nonopaque pelvocalyceal filling defect on excretory urograhy, were shown to have an intrapelvic mass on computed tomography (CT). There were 20 nonopaque stones, 14 cases of transitionalcell carcinoma, 1 benign papilloma, and 2 blood clots. All had a sufficiently specific range of CT numbers and differences in contrast enhancement to allow the correct diagnosis on plain CTscans, or, if necessary, a dynamic CT study following a rapid intravenous bolus of contrast medium.

Purpose: To investigate the eye lens dose reduction by CTscan with organ based tube current modulation (OBTCM) using GPU Monte Carlo code ARCHER-CT. Methods: 36 X-ray sources and bowtie filters were placed around the patient head with the projection angle interval of 10° for one rotation of CTscan, each projection was simulated respectively. The voxel eye models with high resolution(0.1mm*0.1mm*0.1mm) were used in the simulation and different tube voltage including 80kVp, 100kVp, 120kVp and 140kVp were taken into consideration. Results: The radiation doses to the eye lens increased with the tube voltage raised from 80kVp to 140kVp, and the dose results from 0° (AP) direction are much higher than those from 180° (PA) direction for all the 4 different tube voltage investigated. This 360° projection dose characteristic enables organ based TCM, which can reduce the eye lens dose by more than 55%. Conclusion: As the eye lens belongs to superficial tissues, its radiation dose to external exposure like CT is direction sensitive, and this characteristic feature makes organ based TCM to be an effective way to reduce the eye lens dose, so more clinical use of this technique were recommended. National Nature Science Foundation of China(No.11475047)

Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) consists of a heterogeneous group of patients with a wide range of survival times, requiring further prognostic stratification to facilitate treament allocation. We evaluated the prognostic value of (18)F-flurodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) uptake on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) at the time of presentation in patients with BCLC stage C HCC.

The goal is to develop new architectures for computed tomography (CT) which are at an ultra-low-cost for developing countries, especially in rural areas. The proposed general scheme is inspired by the recently developed compressive sensing and interior tomography techniques, where the data acquisition system targets a region of interest (ROI) to acquire limited and truncated data. Similar to linear tomosynthesis, the source and detector are translated in opposite directions but in contrast to conventional tomosynthesis, our proposal is for either ROI reconstruction with one or more localized linear scans or global reconstruction by combining multiple ROI reconstructions. In other words, the popular slip ring is replaced by a translation based setup, and the instrumentation cost is reduced by a relaxation of the imaging speed requirement. The various translational scanning modes are theoretically analyzed, and the scanning parameters are optimized. The numerical simulation results from different numbers of linear scans confirm the feasibility of the proposed scheme, and suggest two preferred low-end systems for horizontal and vertical patient positions respectively. Ultra-low-cost x-ray CT is feasible with our proposed combination of linear scanning, compressive sensing, and interior tomography. The proposed architecture can be tailored into permanent, movable, or reconfigurable systems as desirable. Advanced image registration and spectral imaging features can be included as well.

This paper presents the effects of building mesh models of the human skull and the cranial bones from a series of CT-scans. With the aid of computer so ware, 3D reconstructions of the whole skull and segmented cranial bones were performed and visualized by surface rendering techniques. The article briefly discusses clinical and educational applications of 3D cranial models created using stereolitographic reproduction.

Necrosis of fatty bone marrow is an unusual complication of several pancreatic disorders. We describe a patient with polyarthritis, sterile subcutaneous abscess and osteolysis arising during the course of alcoholic chronic pancreatitis. MR images of one knee showed multiple foci of abnormal signal intensity within the marrow of the distal femur and proximal tibia, consistent with intraosseous fat necrosis. CTscans showed significant changes in the cancellous bone in these areas compatible with metaphyseal osteonecrosis.

Informed clinical decision making for femoral and/or tibial de-rotation osteotomies requires accurate measurement of patient function through gait analysis and anatomy through physical examination of bony torsions. Validity of gait analysis has been extensively studied; however, controversy remains regarding the accuracy of physical examination measurements of femoral and tibial torsion. Comparison between CT-scans and physical examination measurements of femoral neck anteversion (FNA) and external tibial torsion (ETT) were retrospectively obtained for 98 (FNA) and 64 (ETT) patients who attended a tertiary hospital for instrumented gait analysis between 2007 and 2010. The physical examination methods studied for femoral neck anteversion were the trochanteric prominence angle test (TPAT) and the maximum hip rotation arc midpoint (Arc midpoint) and for external tibial torsion the transmalleolar axis (TMA). Results showed that all physical examination measurements statistically differed to the CT-scans (bias(standard deviation): -2(14) for TPAT, -10(12) for Arc midpoint and -16(9) for TMA). Bland and Altman plots showed that method disagreements increased with increasing bony torsions in all cases but notably for TPAT. Regression analysis showed that only TMA and CT-scan measurement of external tibial torsion demonstrated good (R(2)=57%) correlation. Correlations for both TPAT (R(2)=14%) and Arc midpoint (R(2)=39%) with CT-scan measurements of FNA were limited. We conclude that physical examination should be considered as screening techniques rather than definitive measurement methods for FNA and ETT. Further research is required to develop more accurate measurement methods to accompany instrumented gait analysis.

Purpose: To review 1870 CTscans of interfractional prostate shift obtained during image-guided radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: A total of 1870 pretreatment CTscans were acquired with CT-on-rails, and the corresponding shift data for 329 patients with prostate cancer were analyzed. Results: Of the 1870 scans reviewed, 44% required no setup adjustments in the anterior-posterior (AP) direction, 14% had shifts of 3-5 mm, 29% had shifts of 6-10 mm, and 13% had shifts of >10 mm. In the superior-inferior direction, 81% had no adjustments, 2% had shifts of 3-5 mm, 15% had shifts of 6-10 mm, and 2% had shifts of >10 mm. In the left-right direction, 65% had no adjustment, 13% had shifts of 3-5 mm, 17% had shifts of 6-10 mm, and 5% had shifts of >10 mm. Further analysis of the first 66 consecutive patients divided into three groups according to body mass index indicates that the shift in the AP direction for the overweight subgroup was statistically larger than those for the control and obese subgroups (p < 0.05). The interfractional shift in the lateral direction for the obese group (1 SD, 5.5 mm) was significantly larger than those for the overweight and control groups (4.1 and 2.9 mm, respectively) (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These data demonstrate that there is a significantly greater shift in the AP direction than in the lateral and superior-inferior directions for the entire patient group. Overweight and obese patient groups show a significant difference from the control group in terms of prostate shift.

Triple rule-out coronary CT angiography (TRO-CTA) is a new approach for providing noninvasive visualization of coronary arteries with simultaneous evaluation of pulmonary arteries, thoracic aorta and other intrathoracic structures. The increasing use of TRO-CTA examination with longer scan length is associated with the concerns about radiation dose and their corresponding cancer risk. The purpose of this study is to evaluate organ dose and effective dose for the TRO-CTA examination with 2 scan lengths: TRO std and TRO ext, using 256-slice CT. TRO-CTA examinations were performed on a 256-slice CT scanner without ECG-based tube current modulation. Absorbed organ doses were measured using an anthropomorphic phantom and thermal-luminance dosimeters (TLDs). Effective dose was determined by taking a sum of the measured absorbed organ doses multiplied with the tissue weighting factor based on ICRP-103, and compared to that calculated using the dose-length product (DLP) method. We obtained high organ doses in the thyroid, esophagus, breast, heart and lung in both TRO-CTA protocols. Effective doses of the TRO std and TRO ext protocols with the phantom method were 26.37 and 42.49 mSv, while those with the DLP method were 19.68 and 38.96 mSv, respectively. Our quantitative dose information establishes a relationship between radiation dose and scanning length, and can provide a practical guidance to best clinical practice.

A non-invasive protocol for transcranial brain tissue ablation with ultrasound is studied and validated in vitro. The skull induces strong aberrations both in phase and in amplitude, resulting in a severe degradation of the beam shape. Adaptive corrections of the distortions induced by the skull bone are performed using a previous 3D computational tomography scan acquisition (CT) of the skull bone structure. These CTscan data are used as entry parameters in a FDTD (finite differences time domain) simulation of the full wave propagation equation. A numerical computation is used to deduce the impulse response relating the targeted location and the ultrasound therapeutic array, thus providing a virtual time-reversal mirror. This impulse response is then time-reversed and transmitted experimentally by a therapeutic array positioned exactly in the same referential frame as the one used during CTscan acquisitions. In vitro experiments are conducted on monkey and human skull specimens using an array of 300 transmit elements working at a central frequency of 1 MHz. These experiments show a precise refocusing of the ultrasonic beam at the targeted location with a positioning error lower than 0.7 mm. The complete validation of this transcranial adaptive focusing procedure paves the way to in vivo animal and human transcranial HIFU investigations.

Purpose: A novel shape descriptor is presented to aid an automated identification of the airways depicted on computed tomography (CT) images. Methods: Instead of simplifying the tubular characteristic of the airways as an ideal mathematical cylindrical or circular shape, the proposed “loop” shape descriptor exploits the fact that the cross sections of any tubular structure (regardless of its regularity) always appear as a loop. In implementation, the authors first reconstruct the anatomical structures in volumetric CT as a three-dimensional surface model using the classical marching cubes algorithm. Then, the loop descriptor is applied to locate the airways with a concave loop cross section. To deal with the variation of the airway walls in density as depicted on CT images, a multiple threshold strategy is proposed. A publicly available chest CT database consisting of 20 CTscans, which was designed specifically for evaluating an airway segmentation algorithm, was used for quantitative performance assessment. Measures, including length, branch count, and generations, were computed under the aid of a skeletonization operation. Results: For the test dataset, the airway length ranged from 64.6 to 429.8 cm, the generation ranged from 7 to 11, and the branch number ranged from 48 to 312. These results were comparable to the performance of the state-of-the-art algorithms validated on the same dataset. Conclusions: The authors’ quantitative experiment demonstrated the feasibility and reliability of the developed shape descriptor in identifying lung airways.

Bone scans or skeletal surveys were obtained in 104 patients with ovarian carcinoma. No metastases were identified at staging in the 43 patients with Stage I or II disease. Four patients in the entire series had osseous metastases. Three of the 40 patients with Stage III epithelian ovarian carcinoma has osseous metastases at the time of staging. All of these were Grade III lesions. One Stage I, Grade III patient demonstrated osseous metastases two years after initial diagnosis. None of the four patients with osseous metastases had an elevated alkaline phosphatase; three of the four had bone pain. Based on these results, it is suggested that radiographic bone survey and radionuclide bone scans are not indicated as screening procedures in asymptomatic patients with ovarian carcinoma.

This review aims to summarize the technique and clinical applications of CT perfusion (CTp) of head and neck cancer. The most common pathologic type (90%) of head and neck cancer is squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC): its diagnostic workup relies on CT and MRI, as they provide an accurate staging for the disease by determining tumour volume, assessing its extension, and detecting of lymph node metastases. Compared with conventional CT and MRI, CTp allows for obtaining measures of tumour vascular physiology and functional behaviour, and it has been demonstrated to be a feasible and useful tool in predicting local outcomes in patients undergoing radiation therapy and chemotherapy and may help monitor both treatments. PMID:25140324

Background & objectives: There is a growing concern over the radiation exposure of patients from undergoing 18FDG PET/CT (18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography) whole body investigations. The aim of the present study was to study the kinetics of 18FDG distributions and estimate the radiation dose received by patients undergoing 18FDG whole body PET/CT investigations. Methods: Dynamic PET scans in different regions of the body were performed in 49 patients so as to measure percentage uptake of 18FDG in brain, liver, spleen, adrenals, kidneys and stomach. The residence time in these organs was calculated and radiation dose was estimated using OLINDA software. The radiation dose from the CT component was computed using the software CT-Expo and measured using computed tomography dose index (CTDI) phantom and ionization chamber. As per the clinical protocol, the patients were refrained from eating and drinking for a minimum period of 4 h prior to the study. Results: The estimated residence time in males was 0.196 h (brain), 0.09 h (liver), 0.007 h (spleen), 0.0006 h (adrenals), 0.013 h (kidneys) and 0.005 h (stomach) whereas it was 0.189 h (brain), 0.11 h (liver), 0.01 h (spleen), 0.0007 h (adrenals), 0.02 h (kidneys) and 0.004 h (stomach) in females. The effective dose was found to be 0.020 mSv/MBq in males and 0.025 mSv/MBq in females from internally administered 18FDG and 6.8 mSv in males and 7.9 mSv in females from the CT component. For an administered activity of 370 MBq of 18FDG, the effective dose from PET/CT investigations was estimated to be 14.2 mSv in males and 17.2 mSv in females. Interpretation & conclusions: The present results did not demonstrate significant difference in the kinetics of 18FDG distribution in male and female patients. The estimated PET/CT doses were found to be higher than many other conventional diagnostic radiology examinations suggesting that all efforts should be made to clinically justify and

Sixty-five cases of chronic low back pain were studied. Infrared thermography (IRT) was abnormal in 92%, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 89%, computerized tomography (CT) in 87% and myelography in 80%. IRT correlated with MRI in 94% of cases, and with CT in 87% of cases. Of 22 MRI positive disc and root cases, 21 (95%) had significant leg abnormalities on IRT. All 19 cases with radicular involvement on CT and all 18 with radicular involvement on myelography demonstrated significant leg changes on IRT.

Background A precise placement of dental implants is a crucial step to optimize both prosthetic aspects and functional constraints. In this context, the use of virtual guiding systems has been recognized as a fundamental tool to control the ideal implant position. In particular, complex periodontal surgeries can be performed using preoperative planning based on CT data. The critical point of the procedure relies on the lack of accuracy in transferring CT planning information to surgical field through custom-made stereo-lithographic surgical guides. Methods In this work, a novel methodology is proposed for monitoring loss of accuracy in transferring CT dental information into periodontal surgical field. The methodology is based on integrating 3D data of anatomical (impression and cast) and preoperative (radiographic template) models, obtained by both CT and optical scanning processes. Results A clinical case, relative to a fully edentulous jaw patient, has been used as test case to assess the accuracy of the various steps concurring in manufacturing surgical guides. In particular, a surgical guide has been designed to place implants in the bone structure of the patient. The analysis of the results has allowed the clinician to monitor all the errors, which have been occurring step by step manufacturing the physical templates. Conclusions The use of an optical scanner, which has a higher resolution and accuracy than CTscanning, has demonstrated to be a valid support to control the precision of the various physical models adopted and to point out possible error sources. A case study regarding a fully edentulous patient has confirmed the feasibility of the proposed methodology. PMID:21338504

Purpose: To investigate the impact of tube potential (kVp) on the CTnumber (HU) to proton stopping power ratio (PSPR) conversion table; the range uncertainty and the dosimetric change introduced by a mismatch in kVp between the CT and the HU to PSPR table used to calculate dose are analyzed. Methods: A CIRS CT-ED phantom was scanned with a Philips Brilliance 64-slice scanner under 90kVp and 120kVp tube potentials. Two HU to PSPR curves were then created. Using Eclipse (Varian) a treatment plan was created for a single beam in a water phantom (HU=0) passing through a wedge-shaped heterogeneity (HU=1488). The dose was recalculated by changing only the HU to PSPR table used in the dose calculation. The change in range (the distal 90% isodose line) relative to a distal structure was recorded as a function of heterogeneity thickness in the beam. To show the dosimetric impact of a mismatch in kVp between the CT and the HU to PSPR table, we repeated this procedure using a clinical plan comparing DVH data. Results: The HU to PSPR tables diverge for low-density bone and higher density structures. In the phantom plan, the divergence of the tables results in a change in range of ~1mm per cm of bone in the beam path for the HU used. For the clinical plan, a mismatch in kVp showed a 28% increase in mean dose to the brainstem along with a 10% increase in maximum dose to the brainstem center. Conclusion: A mismatch in kVp between the CT and the HU to PSPR table can introduce significant uncertainty in the proton beam range. For dense bone, the measured range uncertainty is about 1mm per cm of bone in the beam. CT-scan energy verification should be employed, particularly when high-density media is in the proton beam path.

With the development of technology, the traditional X-ray CT can't meet the modern medical and industry needs for component distinguish and identification. This is due to the inconsistency of X-ray imaging system and reconstruction algorithm. In the current CT systems, X-ray spectrum produced by X-ray source is continuous in energy range determined by tube voltage and energy filter, and the attenuation coefficient of object is varied with the X-ray energy. So the distribution of X-ray energy spectrum plays an important role for beam-hardening correction, dual energy CT image reconstruction or dose calculation. However, due to high ill-condition and ill-posed feature of system equations of transmission measurement data, statistical fluctuations of X ray quantum and noise pollution, it is very hard to get stable and accurate spectrum estimation using existing methods. In this paper, a model-based X-ray energy spectrum estimation method from CTscanning data with energy spectrum filter is proposed. First, transmission measurement data were accurately acquired by CTscan and measurement using phantoms with different energy spectrum filter. Second, a physical meaningful X-ray tube spectrum model was established with weighted gaussian functions and priori information such as continuity of bremsstrahlung and specificity of characteristic emission and estimation information of average attenuation coefficient. The parameter in model was optimized to get the best estimation result for filtered spectrum. Finally, the original energy spectrum was reconstructed from filtered spectrum estimation with filter priori information. Experimental results demonstrate that the stability and accuracy of X ray energy spectrum estimation using the proposed method are improved significantly.

SCAN+ is a software application specifically designed to control the positioning of a gamma spectrometer by a two dimensional translation system above spent fuel bundles located in a sealed spent fuel cask. The gamma spectrometer collects gamma spectrum information for the purpose of spent fuel cask fuel loading verification. SCAN+ performs manual and automatic gamma spectrometer positioning functions as-well-as exercising control of the gamma spectrometer data acquisitioning functions. Cask configuration files are used to determine the positions of spent fuel bundles. Cask scanning files are used to determine the desired scan paths for scanning a spent fuel cask allowing for automatic unattended cask scanning that may take several hours.

Background: Evaluating the landmarks for rotation of the distal femur is a challenge for orthopedic surgeons. Although the posterior femoral condyle axis is a good landmark for surgeons, the surgical transepicondylar axis may be a better option with the help of preoperative CTscanning. The purpose of this study was to ascertain relationships among the axes’ guiding distal femur rotational alignment in preoperative CTscans of Iranian patients who were candidates for total knee arthroplasty and the effects of age, gender, and knee alignment on these relationships. Methods: One hundred and eight cases who were admitted to two university hospitals for total knee arthroplasty were included in this study. The rotation of the distal femur was evaluated using single axial CT images through the femoral epicondyle. Four lines were drawn digitally in this view: anatomical and surgical transepicondylar axes, posterior condylar axis and the Whiteside anteroposterior line. The alignment of the extremity was evaluated in the standing alignment view. Then the angles were measured along these lines and their relationship was evaluated. Results: The mean angle between the anatomical transepicondylar axis and posterior condylar axis and between the surgical transepicondylar axis and posterior condylar axis were 5.9 ± 1.6 degrees and 1.6±1.7 degrees respectively. The mean angle between the Whiteside’s anteroposterior line and the line perpendicular to the posterior condylar axis was 3.7±2.1 degrees. Significant differences existed between the two genders in these relationships. No significant correlation between the age of patients and angles of the distal femur was detected. The anatomical surgical transepicondylar axis was in 4.3 degrees external rotation in relation to the surgical transepicondylar axis. Conclusion: Preoperative CTscanning can help accurately determine rotational landmarks of the distal femur. If one of the reference axes cannot be determined, other

Multistage fracturing of the horizontal well is recognized as the main stimulation technology for shale gas development. The hydraulic fracture geometry and stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) is interpreted by using the microseismic mapping technology. In this paper, we used a computerized tomography (CT) scanning technique to reveal the fracture geometry created in natural bedding-developed shale (cubic block of 30 cm × 30 cm × 30 cm) by laboratory fracturing. Experimental results show that partially opened bedding planes are helpful in increasing fracture complexity in shale. However, they tend to dominate fracture patterns for vertical stress difference Δ σ v ≤ 6 MPa, which decreases the vertical fracture number, resulting in the minimum SRV. A uniformly distributed complex fracture network requires the induced hydraulic fractures that can connect the pre-existing fractures as well as pulverize the continuum rock mass. In typical shale with a narrow (<0.05 mm) and closed natural fracture system, it is likely to create complex fracture for horizontal stress difference Δ σ h ≤ 6 MPa and simple transverse fracture for Δ σ h ≥ 9 MPa. However, high naturally fractured shale with a wide open natural fracture system (>0.1 mm) does not agree with the rule that low Δ σ h is favorable for uniformly creating a complex fracture network in zone. In such case, a moderate Δ σ h from 3 to 6 MPa is favorable for both the growth of new hydraulic fractures and the activation of a natural fracture system. Shale bedding, natural fracture, and geostress are objective formation conditions that we cannot change; we can only maximize the fracture complexity by controlling the engineering design for fluid viscosity, flow rate, and well completion type. Variable flow rate fracturing with low-viscosity slickwater fluid of 2.5 mPa s was proved to be an effective treatment to improve the connectivity of induced hydraulic fracture with pre-existing fractures. Moreover, the

The neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma of the cervix is a rare malignancy that has a poor prognosis due to early lymphatic and hematogenous spread. We herein report a case of a 27- year-old woman who was referred for initial staging of a neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma with previous unremarkable structural imaging. Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT revealed focal uptake at the primary tumor and in a solitary pelvic bone lesion suggestive of metastases that was further confirmed by CT-guided biopsy. Somatostatin receptor PET/CT may be a useful image modality for early detection of metastases to guide treatment in these patients.

This article demonstrates the resolution capabilities of the CCD scanner under ideal circumstances and describes the first CCD-based optical CT experiments on a new class of dosimeter, known as PRESAGETM (Heuris Pharma, Skillman, NJ).

Arginine-specific mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase 1 (ART1) is an important enzyme that catalyzes arginine-specific mono-ADP-ribosylation. There is evidence that arginine-specific mono-ADP-ribosylation may affect the proliferation of smooth muscle cells via the Rho-dependent signaling pathway. Previous studies have demonstrated that ART1 may have a role in the proliferation, invasion and apoptosis of colon carcinoma in vitro. However, the effect of ART1 on the proliferation and invasion of colon carcinoma in vivo has yet to be elucidated. In the present study, mouse colon carcinomaCT26 cells were infected with a lentivirus to produce ART1 gene silencing or overexpression, and were then subcutaneously transplanted. To observe the effect of ART1 on tumor growth or liver metastasis in vivo, a spleen transplant tumor model of CT26 cells in BALB/c mice was successfully constructed. Expression levels of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA) and the downstream factors, c-myc, c-fos and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) proteins, were measured in vivo. The results demonstrated that ART1 gene silencing inhibited the growth of the spleen transplanted tumor and its ability to spread to the liver via metastasis. There was also an accompanying increase in expression of FAK, RhoA, c-myc, c-fos and COX-2, whereas CT26 cells with ART1 overexpression demonstrated the opposite effect. These results suggest a potential role for ART1 in the proliferation and invasion of CT26 cells and a possible mechanism in vivo. PMID:28138708

Iodine-124 positron emission tomography (PET) is a useful 3D imaging technique for diagnosis and management of thyroid diseases. The difficulty in interpretation of the PET scans with highly selective tracers, such as iodine-124, is the lack of identifiable anatomical structures, so an accurate anatomical localization of foci presenting abnormal uptake is problematic. Consequently, a combined PET/CT scanner can resolve these difficulties by co-registering PET and CT data in a single session allowing a correlation of functional and morphologic imaging. A case is presented where iodine-124 produced by a clinical cyclotron and FDG were used to acquire images with a combined PET/CT scanner for clinical staging. On the basis of the PET/CT exams the treatment of the patient was modified.

Composition discernment, fraction calculation and morphological analysis of a shallow core retrieved from Barrow, AK as part of the Next Generation Ecosystem Experiments in the Arctic (NGEE-Arctic) were conducted to give a quantitative description of the core. Imaging of the core was performed using a medical X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner, which gives a 3D image with a resolution of 0.195×0.195×0.625mm3. The core consists mainly of mineral, ice, organic matter and air and composition discernment and fraction calculation focus on the first three materials. Four scans with different energies were performed because materials with different density show different responses on scans with varying energies. A calibration curve showing the relationship between density and CT value was built by scanning standard materials having a wide range of density. CT value of the three compositions under four energies was determined by the calibration curve and the core scan. Composition fraction was calculated on the assumption that the core CT value is linearly proportional to the composition fraction and by solving linear least-squares problems with bounds. Comparison of the estimated and measured core CT value shows that the correlation coefficient is more than 0.99, indicating the accuracy of the calculation. Two regions with relatively high fraction of organic matter (10%) were distinguished, which are located at the top of the core and ice filled fractures at the bottom of the active layer. Morphological analysis was applied to the mineral and ice because of low fraction of organic matter. Three segmentations corresponding to ice-rich (with a density of 0.86 to 1.24 g/cm3), transition from ice to mineral (1.24 to 1.47 g/cm3) and mineral-rich (1.47 to 2.65 g/cm3) were applied to the core, and two area (area and area standard deviation) and three morphological (circulatory, roundness and rectangularity) parameters were analysed. By conducting Principle Component

Abstract. The purpose of this study is to investigate the utility of obtaining “core samples” of regions in CT volume scans for extraction of radiomic features. We asked four readers to outline tumors in three representative slices from each phase of multiphasic liver CT images taken from 29 patients (1128 segmentations) with hepatocellular carcinoma. Core samples were obtained by automatically tracing the maximal circle inscribed in the outlines. Image features describing the intensity, texture, shape, and margin were used to describe the segmented lesion. We calculated the intraclass correlation between the features extracted from the readers’ segmentations and their core samples to characterize robustness to segmentation between readers, and between human-based segmentation and core sampling. We conclude that despite the high interreader variability in manually delineating the tumor (average overlap of 43% across all readers), certain features such as intensity and texture features are robust to segmentation. More importantly, this same subset of features can be obtained from the core samples, providing as much information as detailed segmentation while being simpler and faster to obtain. PMID:26587549

The purpose of this study is to investigate the utility of obtaining "core samples" of regions in CT volume scans for extraction of radiomic features. We asked four readers to outline tumors in three representative slices from each phase of multiphasic liver CT images taken from 29 patients (1128 segmentations) with hepatocellular carcinoma. Core samples were obtained by automatically tracing the maximal circle inscribed in the outlines. Image features describing the intensity, texture, shape, and margin were used to describe the segmented lesion. We calculated the intraclass correlation between the features extracted from the readers' segmentations and their core samples to characterize robustness to segmentation between readers, and between human-based segmentation and core sampling. We conclude that despite the high interreader variability in manually delineating the tumor (average overlap of 43% across all readers), certain features such as intensity and texture features are robust to segmentation. More importantly, this same subset of features can be obtained from the core samples, providing as much information as detailed segmentation while being simpler and faster to obtain.

Femur segmentation can be an important tool in orthopedic surgical planning. However, in order to overcome the need of an experienced user with extensive knowledge on the techniques, segmentation should be fully automatic. In this paper a new fully automatic femur segmentation method for CT images is presented. This method is also able to define automatically the medullary canal and performs well even in low resolution CTscans. Fully automatic femoral segmentation was performed adapting a template mesh of the femoral volume to medical images. In order to achieve this, an adaptation of the active shape model (ASM) technique based on the statistical shape model (SSM) and local appearance model (LAM) of the femur with a novel initialization method was used, to drive the template mesh deformation in order to fit the in-image femoral shape in a time effective approach. With the proposed method a 98% convergence rate was achieved. For high resolution CT images group the average error is less than 1mm. For the low resolution image group the results are also accurate and the average error is less than 1.5mm. The proposed segmentation pipeline is accurate, robust and completely user free. The method is robust to patient orientation, image artifacts and poorly defined edges. The results excelled even in CT images with a significant slice thickness, i.e., above 5mm. Medullary canal segmentation increases the geometric information that can be used in orthopedic surgical planning or in finite element analysis.

This paper presents a methodology for volume capture and rendering of plain weave and multi-layer fabric meso-architectures within a consolidated, cured laminate. Micro X-ray Computed Tomography (MicroCT) is an excellent tool for the non-destructive visualisation of material microstructures however the contrast between tows and resin is poor for carbon fibre composites. Firstly, this paper demonstrates techniques to improve the contrast of the microCT images by introducing higher density materials such as gold, iodine and glass into the fabric. Two approaches were demonstrated to be effective for enhancing the differentiation between the tows in the reconstructed microCT visualisations. Secondly, a method of generating three-dimensional volume models of woven composites using microCTscan data is discussed. The process of generating a model is explained from initial manufacture with the aid of an example plain weave fabric. These methods are to be used in the finite element modelling of three-dimensional fabric preforms in future work.

Although acute appendicitis is the most frequent cause of the acute abdomen in the United States, its accurate diagnosis in reproductive-age women remains difficult. Problems in making the diagnosis are evidenced by negative appendectomy rates in this group of 20 per cent to 45 per cent. Abdominal CTscanning has been used in diagnosing acute appendicitis, but its reliability and usefulness remains controversial. There is concern that the use of CTscanning to make this diagnosis leads to increased and unwarranted healthcare charges and costs. The purpose of our study is to determine if abdominal CTscanning is an effective test in making the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in reproductive-age women (age, 16-49 years) with right lower quadrant abdominal pain and to determine if its use is cost-effective. From January 2003 to December 2006, 439 patients were identified from our academic surgical database and confirmed by chart review as undergoing an appendectomy with a pre- or postoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Data, including age, presence and results of preoperative abdominal CTscans, operative findings, and pathology reports were reviewed. Comparison of patients receiving a preoperative CTscan with those who did not was performed using chi-squared analysis. In the subgroup of reproductive-age women, there was a significant difference in negative appendectomy rates of 17 per cent in the group that received abdominal CTscans versus 42 per cent in the group that did not (P < 0.038). After accounting for the patient and insurance company costs, abdominal CTscan savings averaged $1412 per patient. Abdominal CTscanning is a reliable, useful, and cost-effective test for evaluating right lower quadrant abdominal pain and making the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in reproductive-age women.

The semi-empirical force-limited vibration method was developed and implemented for payload testing to limit the structural impedance mismatch (high force) that occurs during shaker vibration testing. The method has since been extended for use in analytical models. The Space Communications and Navigation Testbed (SCAN Testbed), known at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) as, the Communications, Navigation, and Networking re-Configurable Testbed (CoNNeCT) project utilized force-limited testing and analysis following the semi-empirical approach. This presentation presents the steps in performing a force-limited analysis and then compares the results to test data recovered during the CoNNeCT force-limited random vibration qualification test that took place at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in the Structural Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) December 19, 2010 - January 7, 2011. A compilation of lessons learned and considerations for future force-limited tests is also included.

The semi-empirical force-limiting vibration method was developed and implemented for payload testing to limit the structural impedance mismatch (high force) that occurs during shaker vibration testing. The method has since been extended for use in analytical models. The Space Communications and Navigation Testbed (SCAN Testbed), known at NASA as, the Communications, Navigation, and Networking re-Configurable Testbed (CoNNeCT), project utilized force-limiting testing and analysis following the semi-empirical approach. This paper presents the steps in performing a force-limiting analysis and then compares the results to test data recovered during the CoNNeCT force-limiting random vibration qualification test that took place at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in the Structural Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) December 19, 2010 to January 7, 2011. A compilation of lessons learned and considerations for future force-limiting tests is also included.

Wilms tumor and hepatoblastoma are the most common intra-abdominal solid organ childhood tumors. CT examination is one of the routinely performed procedures in hospitals for children with these tumors inspite of high radiation exposure associated with CTscans. Sixty patients (Wilms tumor = 45, hepatoblastoma = 16) were evaluated retrospectively. Higher proportion (44.4%) of metastatic disease was identified at presentation in the Wilms tumor subset as compared to hepatoblastoma (6.3%) [p=0.006]. Metastatic disease was noted in 6 patients having Wilms tumor on follow-up while it was also low in hepatoblastoma which was noted in only 2 patients (p > 0.05). No significant difference was identified in pelvic extension of disease at presentation in both studied population (p > 0.05). Pelvic metastasis was noted in 1 patient only with Wilms tumor on follow-up while no pelvic metastasis was seen in the hepatoblastoma patients (p-value > 0.05).

A good abdominal probabilistic atlas can provide important information to guide segmentation and registration applications in the abdomen. Here we build and test probabilistic atlases using 24 abdominal CTscans with available expert manual segmentations. Atlases are built by picking a target and mapping other training scans onto that target and then summing the results into one probabilistic atlas. We improve our previous abdominal atlas by 1) choosing a least biased target as determined by a statistical tool, i.e. multidimensional scaling operating on bending energy, 2) using a better set of control points to model the deformation, and 3) using higher information content CTscans with visible internal liver structures. One atlas is built in the least biased target space and two atlases are built in other target spaces for performance comparisons. The value of an atlas is assessed based on the resulting segmentations; whichever atlas yields the best segmentation performance is considered the better atlas. We consider two segmentation methods of abdominal volumes after registration with the probabilistic atlas: 1) simple segmentation by atlas thresholding and 2) application of a Bayesian maximum a posteriori method. Using jackknifing we measure the atlas-augmented segmentation performance with respect to manual expert segmentation and show that the atlas built in the least biased target space yields better segmentation performance than atlases built in other target spaces.

Objective: Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare disease, with limited radiographic reported information. We assessed the imaging patterns of primary and metastatic FLC. Methods: CT and MR examinations of patients with FLC were retrospectively reviewed. Imaging features were assessed for primary and recurrent liver tumours, including dimension, enhancement characteristics, and presence or absence of central scars. Locations of nodal and extranodal metastases were also recorded. Results: Of 37 patients (18 males and 19 females; average age, 23.5 years) with FLC, 24 had imaging of their primary tumour; 13 had metastases at presentation and 7 developed metastases on follow-up. The remaining 13 patients had follow-up imaging of metastatic disease. Primary FLC had a mean diameter >11 cm, with central scars in ten (46%) patients. Most tumours enhanced heterogeneously (96%) and showed arterial enhancement (81%). On MRI, 62% of FLCs were hypointense on T1 weighted imaging and 54% were hyperintense on T2 weighted imaging. 13 patients (54%) had nodal metastases at presentation, mostly in the upper abdomen (92%) and commonly in the chest (38%). Extrahepatic metastases were most frequently pulmonary or peritoneal. Predominantly small and homogeneous intrahepatic recurrences were detected on follow-up in 15 patients. Conclusion: FLC often presents as a large hepatic tumour with nodal and distant metastases. Thoracic adenopathy and lung metastases were frequently found in our series, suggesting the need for pre-operative and follow-up chest imaging. Advances in knowledge: Thoracic nodal and lung metastases are common in FLC; therefore, dedicated chest imaging should be part of the evaluation of a patient with FLC. PMID:24896196

A novel low-dose ECG-gated helical scan method to investigate coronary artery diseases was developed. This method uses a high pitch for scanning (based on the patient's heart rate) and X-rays are generated only during the optimal cardiac phases. The dose reduction was obtained using a two-level approach: 1) To use a 64-slice CT scanner (Aquilion, Toshiba, Otawara, Tochigi, Japan) with a scan speed of 0.35 s/rot. to helically scan the heart at a high pitch based on the patient's heart rate. By changing the pitch from the conventional 0.175 to 0.271 for a heart rate of 60 bpm, the exposure dose was reduced to 65%. 2) To employ tube current gating that predicts the timing of optimal cardiac phases from the previous cardiac cycle and generates X-rays only during the required cardiac phases. The combination of high speed scanning with a high pitch and appropriate X-ray generation only in the cardiac phases from 60% to 90% allows the exposure dose to be reduced to 5.6 mSv for patients with a heart rate lower than 65 bpm. This is a dose reduction of approximately 70% compared to the conventional scanning method recommended by the manufacturer when segmental reconstruction is considered. This low-dose protocol seamlessly allows for wide scan ranges (e.g., aortic dissection) with the benefits of ECG-gated helical scanning: smooth continuity for longitudinal direction and utilization of data from all cardiac cycles.

Personal identification consists of the comparison of ante-mortem information from a missing person with post-mortem data obtained from an unidentified corpse. Such procedure is based on the assessment of individualizing features which may help in providing a conclusive identification between ante-mortem and post-mortem material. Anatomical variants may provide important clues to correctly identify human remains. Areas of idiopathic osteosclerosis (IO), or dense bone islands (DBIs) characterized by radiopaque areas of dense, trabeculated, non-inflamed vital bone represent one of these, potentially individualizing, anatomical features. This study presents a case where the finding of DBI was crucial for a positive identification through CT-scan. A decomposed body was found in an apartment in June 2014 in advanced decomposition and no dental records were available to perform a comparison for positive identification. Genetic tests were not applicable because of the lack of relatives in a direct line. The analysis of the only ante-mortem documentation, a CT-scan to the deceased dating back to August 2009, showed the presence of three DBIs within the trabecular bone of the proximal portion of the right femur. The same bony district was removed from the corpse during the autopsy and analysed by CT-scan, which verified the presence of the same features. Forensic practitioners should therefore be aware of the great importance of anatomical bone variants, such as dense bone islands for identification purposes, and the importance of advanced radiological technique for addressing the individualizing potential of such variants. We propose that anatomical variants of the human skeleton should be considered as being "primary identification characteristics" similar to dental status, fingerprints and DNA.

This paper presents a new computer-aided detection scheme for lung nodules attached to the pleural or mediastinal surface in low dose CTscans. First the lungs are automatically segmented and smoothed. Any connected set of voxels attached to the wall - with each voxel above minus 500 HU and the total object within a specified volume range - was considered a candidate finding. For each candidate, a refined segmentation was computed using morphological operators to remove attached structures. For each candidate, 35 features were defined, based on their position in the lung and relative to other structures, and the shape and density within and around each candidate. In a training procedure an optimal set of 15 features was determined with a k-nearest-neighbor classifier and sequential floating forward feature selection. The algorithm was trained with a data set of 708 scans from a lung cancer screening study containing 224 pleural nodules and tested on an independent test set of 226 scans from the same program with 58 pleural nodules. The algorithm achieved a sensitivity of 52% with an average of 0.76 false positives per scan. At 2.5 false positive marks per scan, the sensitivity increased to 80%.

Lung scans with the use of macroaggregated human serum albumin labelled with technetium-99m were carried out in 52 patients before thoracotomy. Forty-three patients had carcinoma of the bronchus. Tumours less than 2 cm. in diameter on the chest radiograph were not detected. Larger tumours showed defects in perfusion, ranging in size from the mass seen on the chest radiograph to almost absent perfusion of the entire lung. The extent of the defect in perfusion was closely related to involvement of the pulmonary vessels at the hilum by distortion, compression, or invasion by the tumour. Bronchial obstruction played a less important part in producing the defects. The larger the defect in perfusion the greater was the involvement of the hilar and mediastinal structures and the more extensive was the surgery required. When perfusion of the affected lung was less than one-third of the total the tumour was found to be unresectable. ImagesFig. 1Fig. 2Fig. 3Fig. 4 PMID:5800342

Despite increasing the integration of radiologic imaging teaching in anatomy dissection courses, studies on learning outcome of these interventions are rare or have certain shortcomings in study design. In this study, students were randomly allocated to an intervention group (n=53) receiving five weekly CT-courses of 30min duration during a 6-week gross anatomy course. Students in the control group (n=329) received no additional teaching. Total teaching time did not differ among groups. All students were asked to participate in a pre- and post-course self-assessment (comparative self-assessment; CSA) of learning objectives related to anatomical spatial relationships and a post-course formative assessment on radiologic anatomy. Items of both assessments were matched. Moreover, students of the intervention group were asked to evaluate the CT-courses. Most participants of the intervention group classified the CT-courses as "good" or "very good". Nevertheless, results of the CSA and formative assessment did not differ among study and control groups. These findings indicate that the teaching intervention (CT-courses) did not have an impact on recognition of anatomical structures in radiological images beyond the knowledge acquired in the anatomical dissection course. As a consequence, interventions integrating radiology imaging into dissection courses should be based on psychological considerations of how to best foster student learning. Learning outcome has to be monitored, as results of evaluation surveys can be misleading. Further research on curricular concepts is needed considering both short- and long-term effects.

Women with isolated metastatic carcinoma or adenocarcinoma involving axillary lymph nodes are a well-recognized group of unknown primary carcinoma (UPC) patients with a favorable prognosis. This group of patients are generally treated based on the assumption that they have occult breast cancer. However, to facilitate patient access to the whole spectrum of therapies available for patients with breast cancer, including strategies involving the use of high-dose chemotherapy, a precise diagnosis is increasingly important. In this clinical case we report the detection of a primary breast cancer by 111In-pentetreotide scanning in a woman who presented with metastatic carcinoma in axillary nodes, no palpable breast lesion, a nondiagnostic mammogram, and negative breast ultrasonography. Previous outcomes analysis of patients with UPC have emphasized the value of identifying women with breast cancer. This report suggests that the 111In-pentetreotide scan can contribute specific, clinically useful information in the evaluation of women presenting with metastatic carcinoma in axillary nodes and an occult primary and deserves prospective study in women with UPC presenting with isolated axillary metastases.

Background: Recent epidemiological results suggested an increase of cancer risk after receiving computed tomography (CT) scans in childhood or adolescence. Their interpretation is questioned due to the lack of information about the reasons for examination. Our objective was to estimate the cancer risk related to childhood CTscans, and examine how cancer-predisposing factors (PFs) affect assessment of the radiation-related risk. Methods: The cohort included 67 274 children who had a first scan before the age of 10 years from 2000 to 2010 in 23 French departments. Cumulative X-rays doses were estimated from radiology protocols. Cancer incidence was retrieved through the national registry of childhood cancers; PF from discharge diagnoses. Results: During a mean follow-up of 4 years, 27 cases of tumours of the central nervous system, 25 of leukaemia and 21 of lymphoma were diagnosed; 32% of them among children with PF. Specific patterns of CT exposures were observed according to PFs. Adjustment for PF reduced the excess risk estimates related to cumulative doses from CTscans. No significant excess risk was observed in relation to CT exposures. Conclusions: This study suggests that the indication for examinations, whether suspected cancer or PF management, should be considered to avoid overestimation of the cancer risks associated with CTscans. PMID:25314057

Accurate segmentation of pulmonary nodules in computed tomography (CT) is an important and difficult task for computer-aided diagnosis of lung cancer. Therefore, the authors developed a novel automated method for accurate segmentation of nodules in three-dimensional (3D) CT. First, a volume of interest (VOI) was determined at the location of a nodule. To simplify nodule segmentation, the 3D VOI was transformed into a two-dimensional (2D) image by use of a key 'spiral-scanning' technique, in which a number of radial lines originating from the center of the VOI spirally scanned the VOI from the 'north pole' to the 'south pole'. The voxels scanned by the radial lines provided a transformed 2D image. Because the surface of a nodule in the 3D image became a curve in the transformed 2D image, the spiral-scanning technique considerably simplified the segmentation method and enabled reliable segmentation results to be obtained. A dynamic programming technique was employed to delineate the 'optimal' outline of a nodule in the 2D image, which corresponded to the surface of the nodule in the 3D image. The optimal outline was then transformed back into 3D image space to provide the surface of the nodule. An overlap between nodule regions provided by computer and by the radiologists was employed as a performance metric for evaluating the segmentation method. The database included two Lung Imaging Database Consortium (LIDC) data sets that contained 23 and 86 CTscans, respectively, with 23 and 73 nodules that were 3 mm or larger in diameter. For the two data sets, six and four radiologists manually delineated the outlines of the nodules as reference standards in a performance evaluation for nodule segmentation. The segmentation method was trained on the first and was tested on the second LIDC data sets. The mean overlap values were 66% and 64% for the nodules in the first and second LIDC data sets, respectively, which represented a higher performance level than those of two

Purpose: To evaluate dual energy based methods for bone removal in computed tomography angiography (CTA) images and compare these with single energy based methods that use an additional, nonenhanced, CTscan. Methods: Four different bone removal methods were applied to CTscans of an anthropomorphic thorax phantom, acquired with a second generation dual source CT scanner. The methods differed by the way information on the presence of bone was obtained (either by using an additional, nonenhanced scan or by scanning with two tube voltages at the same time) and by the way the bone was removed from the CTA images (either by masking or subtracting the bone). The phantom contained parts which mimic vessels of various diameters in direct contact with bone. Both a quantitative and qualitative analysis of image quality after bone removal was performed. Image quality was quantified by the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) normalized to the square root of the dose (CNRD). At locations where vessels touch bone, the quality of the bone removal and the vessel preservation were visually assessed. The dual energy based methods were assessed with and without the addition of a 0.4 mm tin filter to the high voltage x-ray tube filtration. For each bone removal method, the dose required to obtain a certain CNR after bone removal was compared with the dose of a reference scan with the same CNR but without automated bone removal. The CNRD value of the reference scan was maximized by choosing the lowest tube voltage available. Results: All methods removed the bone completely. CNRD values were higher for the masking based methods than for the subtraction based methods. Single energy based methods had a higher CNRD value than the corresponding dual energy based methods. For the subtraction based dual energy method, tin filtration improved the CNRD value with approximately 50%. For the masking based dual energy method, it was easier to differentiate between iodine and bone when tin filtration

... may have an allergic reaction to the tracer material. Some people have pain, redness, or swelling at ... with diabetes. Most PET scans are now performed along with a CTscan. This combination scan ...

Real-time virtual sonography (RVS) is a diagnostic imaging support system, which provides the same cross-sectional multiplanar reconstruction images as ultrasound images on the same monitor screen in real time. The purpose of this study was to evaluate radiofrequency ablation (RFA) assisted by RVS and CT for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undetectable with conventional sonography. Subjects were 20 patients with 20 HCC nodules not detected by conventional sonography but detectable by CT or MRI. All patients had hepatitis C-induced liver cirrhosis; there were 13 males and 7 females aged 55-81 years (mean, 69.3 years). RFA was performed in the CT room, and the tumor was punctured with the assistance of RVS. CT was performed immediately after puncture, and ablation was performed after confirming that the needle had been inserted into the tumor precisely. The mean number of punctures and success rates of the first puncture were evaluated. Treatment effects were evaluated with dynamic CT every 3 months after RFA. RFA was technically feasible and local tumor control was achieved in all patients. The mean number of punctures was 1.1, and the success rate of the first puncture was 90.0%. This method enabled safe ablation without complications. The mean follow-up period was 13.5 month (range, 9-18 months). No local recurrence was observed at the follow-up points. In conclusion, RFA assisted by RVS and CT is a safe and efficacious method of treatment for HCC undetectable by conventional sonography.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) imaging on nodal staging for head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Methods and Materials: The study population consisted of 23 patients with head-and-neck SCC who were evaluated with FDG-PET/CT and went on to neck dissection. Two observers consensually determined the lesion size and maximum standardized uptake value (SUV{sub max}) and compared the results with pathologic findings on nodal-level involvement. Two different observers (A and B) independently performed three protocols for clinical nodal staging. Methods 1, 2, and 3 were based on conventional modalities, additional visual information from FDG-PET/CT images, and FDG-PET/CT imaging alone with SUV data, respectively. Results: All primary tumors were visualized with FDG-PET/CT. Pathologically, 19 positive and 93 negative nodal levels were identified. The SUV{sub max} overlapped in negative and positive nodes <15 mm in diameter. According to receiver operating characteristics analysis, the size-based SUV{sub max} cutoff values were 1.9, 2.5, and 3.0 for lymph nodes <10 mm, 10-15 mm, and >15 mm, respectively. These cutoff values yielded 79% sensitivity and 99% specificity for nodal-level staging. For Observer A, the sensitivity and specificity in Methods 1, 2, and 3 were 68% and 94%, 68% and 99%, and 84% and 99%, respectively, and Method 3 yielded significantly higher accuracy than Method 1 (p = 0.0269). For Observer B, Method 3 yielded the highest sensitivity (84%) and specificity (99%); however, the difference among the three protocols was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Imaging with FDG-PET/CT with size-based SUV{sub max} cutoff values is an important modality for radiation therapy planning.

The Cretaceous Sanagasta neosauropod nesting site (La Rioja, Argentina) was the first confirmed instance of extinct dinosaurs using geothermal-generated heat to incubate their eggs. The nesting strategy and hydrothermal activities at this site led to the conclusion that the surprisingly 7 mm thick-shelled eggs were adapted to harsh hydrothermal microenvironments. We used micro-CTscans in this study to obtain the first three-dimensional microcharacterization of these eggshells. Micro-CT-based analyses provide a robust assessment of gas conductance in fossil dinosaur eggshells with complex pore canal systems, allowing calculation, for the first time, of the shell conductance through its thickness. This novel approach suggests that the shell conductance could have risen during incubation to seven times more than previously estimated as the eggshell erodes. In addition, micro-CT observations reveal that the constant widening and branching of pore canals form a complex funnel-like pore canal system. Furthermore, the high density of pore canals and the presence of a lateral canal network in the shell reduce the risks of pore obstruction during the extended incubation of these eggs in a relatively highly humid and muddy nesting environment.

The Cretaceous Sanagasta neosauropod nesting site (La Rioja, Argentina) was the first confirmed instance of extinct dinosaurs using geothermal-generated heat to incubate their eggs. The nesting strategy and hydrothermal activities at this site led to the conclusion that the surprisingly 7 mm thick-shelled eggs were adapted to harsh hydrothermal microenvironments. We used micro-CTscans in this study to obtain the first three-dimensional microcharacterization of these eggshells. Micro-CT-based analyses provide a robust assessment of gas conductance in fossil dinosaur eggshells with complex pore canal systems, allowing calculation, for the first time, of the shell conductance through its thickness. This novel approach suggests that the shell conductance could have risen during incubation to seven times more than previously estimated as the eggshell erodes. In addition, micro-CT observations reveal that the constant widening and branching of pore canals form a complex funnel-like pore canal system. Furthermore, the high density of pore canals and the presence of a lateral canal network in the shell reduce the risks of pore obstruction during the extended incubation of these eggs in a relatively highly humid and muddy nesting environment. PMID:27009182

Geometric models of the anatomy are used routinely in calculations of the radiation dose in organs and tissues of the body. Development of such models has been hampered by lack of detailed anatomical information on children, and models themselves have been limited to quadratic conic sections. This summary reviews the development of an image processing workstation used to extract anatomical information from routine diagnostic CT procedure. A standard IBM PC/AT microcomputer has been augmented with an automatically loading 9-track magnetic tape drive, an 8-bit 1024 {times} 1024 pixel graphics adapter/monitor/film recording package, a mouse/trackball assembly, dual 20 MB removable cartridge media, a 72 MB disk drive, and a printer. Software utilized by the workstation includes a Geographic Information System (modified for manipulation of CT images), CAD software, imaging software, and various modules to ease data transfer among the software packages. 5 refs., 3 figs.

This paper presents a computer aided diagnosis for lung nodules in CT images. The system consists of feature extraction, feature selection and classification. A two-step feature selection process is introduced to reduce the number of coefficients produced in the feature extraction step. This helps in enhancing the classification performance as it removes unneeded and redundant information. The classification rate of the system reached 98.10 % with minimum false negatives and zero false positives.

A panel of experts has reviewed the evidence regarding the benefits and harms of screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (CT) and concluded that the technology may benefit some individuals at high risk for lung cancer. But the panel cautioned that many questions remain about the potential harms of screening and how to translate screening into clinical practice. |

In 1962, a new English rock-and-roll band named The Beatles signed a recording contract with Electric & Music Industries (EMI). The Beatles were so financially successful that EMI was able to fund research and development in other divisions of the company; in particular, the work of an enterprising young engineer named Godfrey Hounsfield. His groundbreaking work in x-ray imaging produced the first commercially available head-only CT scanner, and a Nobel Prize.

CTscanning analysis applied to vertebrate palaeontology is providing an increasing number of data of great interest. This method can be used in many branches of palaeontology such as the investigation of all the fossilized elements in a hard matrix and the hidden structures in the bones. A large number of pathologies are "hidden", completely or partially invisible on the external surface of the bones because their development took place within the bones. However, the study of these diseases and abnormalities plays a crucial role in our understanding of evolutionary and adaptive processes of extinct taxa. The analysis of a partial skeleton of the sabre-toothed felid Megantereon whitei from the Early Pleistocene karst filling deposits of Monte Argentario (Tuscany, Italy) has been carried out. The CTscanning analysis put in evidence the presence of supernumerary teeth (P2) and the absence of P3 in the mandible. The occurrence of P2 can be considered as an evidence of atavism. Such an archaic feature is recorded for the first time in Megantereon.

In this paper, we compare ultrasound interrogations of actual CT-scanned images of trabecular bone with artificial randomly constructed bone. Even though it is known that actual bone does not have randomly distributed trabeculae, we find that the ultrasound attenuations are close enough to cast doubt on any microstructural information, such as trabeculae width and distance between trabeculae, being gleaned from such experiments. More precisely, we perform numerical simulations of ultrasound interrogation on cancellous bone to investigate the phenomenon of ultrasound attenuation as a function of excitation frequency and bone porosity. The theoretical model is based on acoustic propagation equations for a composite fluid-solid material and is solved by a staggered-grid finite-difference scheme in the time domain. Numerical experiments are performed on two-dimensional bone samples reconstructed from CT-scanned images of real human calcaneus and from random distributions of fluid-solid particles generated via the turning bands method. A detailed comparison is performed on various parameters such as the attenuation rate and speed of sound through the bone samples as well as the normalized broadband ultrasound attenuation coefficient. Comparing results from these two types of bone samples allows us to assess the role of bone microstructure in ultrasound attenuation. It is found that the random model provides suitable bone samples for ultrasound interrogation in the transverse direction of the trabecular network.

Early detection of pulmonary nodules is crucial for improving prognosis of patients with lung cancer. Computer-aided detection of lung nodules in thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans has a great potential to enhance the performance of the radiologist in detecting nodules. In this paper we present a computer-aided lung nodule detection system for computed tomography (CT) scans that works in three steps. The system first segments the lung using thresholding and hole filling. From this segmentation the system extracts candidate nodules using Laplacian of Gaussian. To reject false positives among the detected candidate nodules, multiple established features are calculated. We propose a novel feature based on a spherical shell filter, which is specifically designed to distinguish between vascular structures and nodular structures. The performance of the proposed CAD system was evaluated by partaking in the ANODE09 challenge, which presents a platform for comparing automatic nodule detection programs. The results from the challenge show that our CAD system ranks third among the submitted works, demonstrating the efficacy of our proposed CAD system. The results also show that our proposed spherical shell filter in combination with conventional features can significantly reduce the number of false positives from the detected candidate nodules.

The relationship of outcome to the appearance of the basal cisterns as seen on initial computerized tomography (CT) scanning was assessed in 218 consecutive severely head-injured patients entered into the second phase of the National Pilot Traumatic Coma Data Bank. Outcome could be directly related to the status of the basal cisterns on the initial CTscan. The mortality rates were 77%, 39%, and 22% among those with absent, compressed, and normal basal cisterns, respectively. This association between cisterns and outcome was shown to be strong after adjusting for Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score (p less than 0.001). The state of the cisterns was more important for those with higher GCS scores (scores 6 to 8) than for those with lower scores (scores 3 to 5). Patients with GCS scores of 6 to 8, with cisterns absent or not visualized, suffered nearly a fourfold additional risk of poor outcome, compared to those with normal cisterns. This indicates that the status of the cisterns can be used as an early noninvasive method of identifying patients at high risk of death or severe disability, in whom the initial neurological examination would potentially suggest otherwise.

New generation multislice CT technology has changed the approach to non‐invasive assessment of congenital heart disease, in both paediatric and adult patients. This is mainly because of rapid advances in spatial and temporal resolution and in post‐processing capability. At Hôpital Necker‐Enfants Malades, CT with multiplanar and three‐dimensional reconstruction has become a routine examination in the evaluation of congenital heart disease planning surgery, complex interventional catheterisations and for follow‐up. It has proved to be an invaluable diagnostic and decision‐aiding methodology in these situations, as a complement to echocardiography and, increasingly, as a substitute for diagnostic angiography (which is usually associated with higher‐dose radiation and longer sedation times, as well as occasional morbidity). This review illustrates the current status of 64‐slice CT in congenital heart diseases, including assessment of the aorta, the coronary arteries, the pulmonary arteries, the systemic and pulmonary veins, and other intra‐ and extracardiac malformations. PMID:16952967

BackgroundRenal nerves are a recent target in the treatment of hypertension. Renal sympathetic denervation (RSD) is currently performed using catheter-based radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and because this method has limitations, percutaneous magnetic resonance (MR)-guided periarterial ethanol injection is a suggested alternative. However, few studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of percutaneous ethanol injection for RSD.AimTo evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and complications of computed tomography (CT)-guided periarterial ethanol injection.MethodsEthanol (10 ml, 99.6 %) was injected around the right renal artery in six sheep under CT guidance with the left kidney serving as a control. Before and after the intervention, the sheep underwent MR imaging studies and the serum creatinine level was measured. One month after the intervention, the sheep were euthanized and norepinephrine (NE) concentration in the renal parenchyma was measured to evaluate the efficacy of the procedure. The treated tissues were also examined histopathologically to evaluate vascular, parenchymal, and neural injury.ResultsThe right kidney parenchymal NE concentration decreased significantly compared with the left kidney after intervention (average reduction: 40 %, P = 0.0016). Histologic examination revealed apparent denervation with no other vascular or parenchymal injuries observed in the histological and imaging studies.ConclusionEffective and feasible RSD was achieved using CT-guided periarterial ethanol injection. This technique may be a potential alternative to catheter-based RFA in the treatment of hypertension.

Segmentation of the musculature is very important for accurate organ segmentation, analysis of body composition, and localization of tumors in the muscle. In research fields of computer assisted surgery and computer-aided diagnosis (CAD), muscle segmentation in CT images is a necessary pre-processing step. This task is particularly challenging due to the large variability in muscle structure and the overlap in intensity between muscle and internal organs. This problem has not been solved completely, especially for all of thoracic, abdominal and pelvic regions. We propose an automated system to segment the musculature on CTscans. The method combines an atlas-based model, an active contour model and prior segmentation of fat and bones. First, body contour, fat and bones are segmented using existing methods. Second, atlas-based models are pre-defined using anatomic knowledge at multiple key positions in the body to handle the large variability in muscle shape. Third, the atlas model is refined using active contour models (ACM) that are constrained using the pre-segmented bone and fat. Before refining using ACM, the initialized atlas model of next slice is updated using previous atlas. The muscle is segmented using threshold and smoothed in 3D volume space. Thoracic, abdominal and pelvic CTscans were used to evaluate our method, and five key position slices for each case were selected and manually labeled as the reference. Compared with the reference ground truth, the overlap ratio of true positives is 91.1%+/-3.5%, and that of false positives is 5.5%+/-4.2%.

There are controversies surrounding radiation effects in human population in the range of radiation doses encountered by patients resulting from one to several CTscans. While it is understandable why the effects from low levels of diagnostic radiation are controversial, the situation is complicated by the media which may distort the known facts. There is need to understand the state of science regarding low-level radiation effects and also to understand how to communicate the potential risk with patients, the public and media. This session will seek to come to a consensus in order to speak with one voice to the media and the public. This session will review radiation effects known so far from a variety of exposed groups since the nuclear holocaust, provide clarification where effects are certain and where they are not, at what level extrapolation is the only way and at what level there is weak but agreeable acceptance. We will depict where and why there is agreement among organizations responsible for studying radiation effects, and how to deal with situations where effects are uncertain. Specific focus on radiation effects in children will be provided.Finally, the session will attempt to bridge the communication gap from the science to how to be an effective communicator with patients, parents, and media about ionizing radiation. Learning Objectives: To have a clear understanding about certainties and uncertainties of radiation effects at the level of a few CTscans To understand the results and limitations from 3 major pediatric CT scientific studies on childhood exposures published recently. To understand successful strategies used in risk communication.

Background: We previously reported evidence of a dose–response relationship between ionising-radiation exposure from paediatric computed tomography (CT) scans and the risk of leukaemia and brain tumours in a large UK cohort. Underlying unreported conditions could have introduced bias into these findings. Methods: We collected and reviewed additional clinical information from radiology information systems (RIS) databases, underlying cause of death and pathology reports. We conducted sensitivity analyses excluding participants with cancer-predisposing conditions or previous unreported cancers and compared the dose–response analyses with our original results. Results: We obtained information from the RIS and death certificates for about 40% of the cohort (n∼180 000) and found cancer-predisposing conditions in 4 out of 74 leukaemia/myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) cases and 13 out of 135 brain tumour cases. As these conditions were unrelated to CT exposure, exclusion of these participants did not alter the dose–response relationships. We found evidence of previous unreported cancers in 2 leukaemia/MDS cases, 7 brain tumour cases and 232 in non-cases. These previous cancers were related to increased number of CTs. Exclusion of these cancers reduced the excess relative risk per mGy by 15% from 0.036 to 0.033 for leukaemia/MDS (P-trend=0.02) and by 30% from 0.023 to 0.016 (P-trend<0.0001) for brain tumours. When we included pathology reports we had additional clinical information for 90% of the cases. Additional exclusions from these reports further reduced the risk estimates, but this sensitivity analysis may have underestimated risks as reports were only available for cases. Conclusions: Although there was evidence of some bias in our original risk estimates, re-analysis of the cohort with additional clinical data still showed an increased cancer risk after low-dose radiation exposure from CTscans in young patients. PMID:26882064

This paper evaluates effective dose (ED) of overweight and obese patients who undergo body computed tomography (CT) examinations. ED calculations were based on tissue weight factors in the International Commission on Radiological Protection Publication 103 (ICRP 103). ED per unit dose length product (DLP) are reported as a function of the tube voltage, body mass index (BMI) of patient. The VirtualDose software was used to calculate ED for male and female obese phantoms representing normal weight, overweight, obese 1, obese 2 and obese 3 patients. Five anatomic regions (chest, abdomen, pelvis, abdomen/pelvis and chest/abdomen/pelvis) were investigated for each phantom. The conversion factors were computed from the DLP, and then compared with data previously reported by other groups. It was observed that tube voltage and BMI are the major factors that influence conversion factors of obese patients, and that ED computed using ICRP 103 tissue weight factors were 24% higher for a CT chest examination and 21% lower for a CT pelvis examination than the ED using ICRP 60 factors. For body CTscans, increasing the tube voltage from 80 to 140 kVp would increase the conversion factors by as much as 19-54% depending on the patient's BMI. Conversion factor of female patients was ~7% higher than the factors of male patients. DLP and conversion factors were used to estimate ED, where conversion factors depended on tube voltage, sex, BMI and tissue weight factors. With increasing number of obese individuals, using size-dependence conversion factors will improve accuracy, in estimating patient radiation dose.

The purpose of the presented study was to determine the impact of two different CAD systems used as concur-rent reader for detection of actionable nodules (>4 mm) on the interpretation of chest CTscans during routine reporting. Fifty consecutive MDCT scans (1 mm or 1.25 mm slice thickness, 0.8 mm reconstruction increment) were se-lected from clinical routine. All cases were read by a resident and a staff radiologist, and a written report was available in the radiology information system (RIS). The RIS report mentioned at least one actionable pulmonary nodule in 18 cases (50%) and did not report any pulmonary nodule in the remaining 32 cases. Two different recent CAD systems were independently applied to the 50 CTscans as concurrent reader with two radiologists: Siemens LungCare NEV and MEDIAN CAD-Lung. Two radiologists independently reviewed the CAD results and determined if a CAD result was a true positive or a false positive finding. Patients were classified into two groups: in group A if at least one actionable nodule was detected and in group B if no actionable nodules were found. The effect of CAD on routine reporting was simulated as set union of the findings of routine reporting and CAD thus applying CAD as concurrent reader. According to the RIS report group A (patients with at least one actionable nodule) contained 18 cases (36% of all 50 cases), and group B contained 32 cases. Application of a CAD system as concurrent reader resulted in detec-tion of additional CTscans with actionable nodules and reclassification into group A in 16 resp. 18 cases (radi-ologist 1 resp. radiologist 2) with Siemens NEV and in 19 resp. 18 cases with MEDIAN CAD-Lung. In seven cases MEDIAN CAD-Lung and in four cases Siemens NEV reclassified a case into group A while the other CAD system missed the relevant finding. Sensitivity on a nodule (>4 mm) base was .45 for Siemens NEV and .55 for MEDIAN CAD-Lung; the difference was not yet significant (p=.077). In our study use of CAD

OBJECTIVES: 1) To verify clinical signs correlated with appropriate cranial computed tomography scan indications and changes in the therapeutic approach in pediatric minor head trauma scenarios. 2) To estimate the radiation exposure of computed tomography scans with low dose protocols in the context of trauma and the additional associated risk. METHODS: Investigators reviewed the medical records of all children with minor head trauma, which was defined as a Glasgow coma scale ≥13 at the time of admission to the emergency room, who underwent computed tomography scans during the years of 2013 and 2014. A change in the therapeutic approach was defined as a neurosurgical intervention performed within 30 days, hospitalization, >12 hours of observation, or neuro-specialist evaluation. RESULTS: Of the 1006 children evaluated, 101 showed some abnormality on head computed tomography scans, including 49 who were hospitalized, 16 who remained under observation and 36 who were dismissed. No patient underwent neurosurgery. No statistically significant relationship was observed between patient age, time between trauma and admission, or signs/symptoms related to trauma and abnormal imaging results. A statistically significant relationship between abnormal image results and a fall higher than 1.0 meter was observed (p=0.044). The mean effective dose was 2.0 mSv (0.1 to 6.8 mSv), corresponding to an estimated additional cancer risk of 0.05%. CONCLUSION: A computed tomography scan after minor head injury in pediatric patients did not show clinically relevant abnormalities that could lead to neurosurgical indications. Patients who fell more than 1.0 m were more likely to have changes in imaging tests, although these changes did not require neurosurgical intervention; therefore, the use of computed tomography scans may be questioned in this group. The results support the trend of more careful indications for cranial computed tomography scans for children with minor head trauma. PMID

The efficacy of the whole body (WB) (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) as a part of conventional initial staging in all cases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is still controversial with various studies in literature giving contradictory reports. We conducted this study at a government tertiary care oncology center in India to identify the impact of WB (18)F-FDG PET-CTscan on HNSCC staging and treatment. A prospective clinical study of patients of HNSCC who were evaluated and treated at our center was performed. The patients included in the study were HNSCC of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, nasopharynx, and carcinoma of unknown primary site (CUPS) with cervical metastasis. The study design was to evaluate the cases of HNSCC initially by staging with conventional investigations followed by staging with the information derived from WB (18)F-FDG PET-CTscan. At the end of the conventional investigations, a tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) staging as per AJCC 7(th) edition, and a detailed treatment plan as per NCCN 2012 guidelines was decided in consultation with the multidisciplinary oncology team of the hospital. WB (18)F-FDG PET-CTscan was carried out in all these patients. The findings of WB (18)F-FDG PET-CT were then interpreted with the staging with conventional investigations to identify the cases with change in staging and also those in whom the treatment protocol would be affected. Descriptive analysis of demographic data and analytical analysis of the sensitivity and specificity of WB (18)F-FDG PET-CTscan and also the change in staging and treatment plan after WB (18)F-FDG PET-CTscan was analyzed using SPSS version 18. A total of 131 patients met the inclusion criteria, which included 123 males and 8 females. The various sites involved among the study group are oral cavity 11 (8.3%), oropharyn × 39 (29.7%), hypopharyn × 31 (23.6%), laryn × 34 (25.9%), nasopharyn

Background The aim of this study was to assess the psychological consequences of HRCT scan screening in retired asbestos-exposed workers. Methods A HRCT-scan screening program for asbestos-related diseases was carried out in four regions of France. At baseline (T1), subjects filled in self-administered occupational questionnaires. In two of the regions, subjects also received a validated psychological scale, namely the psychological consequences questionnaire (PCQ). The physician was required to provide the subject with the results of the HRCT scan at a final visit. A second assessment of psychological consequences was performed 6 months after the HRCT-scan examination (T2). PCQ scores were compared quantitatively (t-test, general linear model) and qualitatively (chi²-test, logistic regression) to screening results. Multivariate analyses were adjusted for gender, age, smoking, asbestos exposure and counseling. Results Among the 832 subjects included in this psychological impact study, HRCT-scan screening was associated with a significant increase of the psychological score 6 months after the examination relative to baseline values (8.31 to 10.08, p < 0.0001, t-test). This increase concerned patients with an abnormal HRCT-scan result, regardless of the abnormalities, but also patients with normal HRCT-scans after adjustment for age, gender, smoking status, asbestos exposure and counseling visit. The greatest increase was observed for pleural plaques (+3.60; 95%CI [+2.15;+5.06]), which are benign lesions. Detection of isolated pulmonary nodules was also associated with a less marked but nevertheless significant increase of distress (+1.88; 95%CI [+0.34;+3.42]). However, analyses based on logistic regressions only showed a close to significant increase of the proportion of subjects with abnormal PCQ scores at T2 for patients with asbestosis (OR = 1.92; 95%CI [0.97-3.81]) or with two or more diseases (OR = 2.04; 95%CI [0.95-4.37]). Conclusion This study suggests that

Recent studies linking radiation exposure from pediatric computed tomography (CT) to increased risks of leukemia and brain tumors lacked data to control for cancer susceptibility syndromes (CSS). These syndromes might be confounders because they are associated with an increased cancer risk and may increase the likelihood of pediatric CTscans. We identify CSS predisposing to leukemia and brain tumors through a systematic literature search and summarize prevalence and risk. Since empirical evidence is lacking in published literature on patterns of CT use for most types of CSS, we estimate confounding bias of relative risks (RR) for categories of radiation exposure based on expert opinion about patterns of CTscans among CSS patients. We estimate that radiation-related RRs for leukemia are not meaningfully confounded by Down syndrome, Noonan syndrome and other CSS. Moreover, tuberous sclerosis complex, von Hippel-Lindau disease, neurofibromatosis type 1 and other CSS do not meaningfully confound RRs for brain tumors. Empirical data on the use of CTscans among CSS patients is urgently needed. Our assessment indicates that associations with radiation exposure from pediatric CTscans and leukemia or brain tumors reported in previous studies are unlikely to be substantially confounded by unmeasured CSS.

Sphenoidal sinus carcinoma is a rare cause of hypercalcemia of malignancy. We report on a 37-year-old male with sphenoidal sinus carcinoma with intracranial extension who developed hypercalcemia of malignancy with progressing disease and demonstrated diffuse metastatic visceral calcifications of lungs, myocardium, stomach, kidneys and thyroid on follow-up 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate bone scan. In the absence of extensive skeletal metastases, bone scan help confirm humoral nature of hypercalcaeimia.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a well-established method in treatment of patients with lung carcinomas who are not candidates for surgical resection. Usually computed tomographic (CT) guidance is used for the procedure, thus enabling needle placement and permitting evaluation of complications such as pneumothorax and bleeding. {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is generally used for tumor activity assessment and is therefore useful in follow-up after tumor treatment. A method that provides real-time image-based monitoring of RFA to ensure complete tumor ablation would be a valuable tool. In this report, we describe the behavior of preinjected FDG during PET CT-guided RFA of a non-small-cell lung carcinoma and discuss the value of FDG as a tool to provide intraprocedure monitor ablation. The size and the form of the activity changed during ablation. Ablation led to increase of the size and blurring and irregularity of the contour compared to pretreatment imaging. The maximal standardized uptake value decreased only slightly during the procedure. Therefore, before RFA, FDG PET can guide initial needle placement, but it does not serve as a monitoring tool to evaluate residual viable tissue during the procedure.

Introduction Studies on fever of unknown origin (FUO) in patients of chronic kidney disease and end stage renal disease patients on dialysis were not many. In this study, we used 18 F-FDG PET/CTscan whole body survey for detection of hidden infection, in patients on dialysis, labelled as FUO. Methods In this retrospective study, 20 patients of end stage renal disease on dialysis were investigated for the cause of FUO using 18F-FDG PET/CTscan. All these patients satisfied the definition of FUO as defined by Petersdorf and Beeson. Any focal abnormal site of increased FDG concentration detected by PET/CT, either a solitary or multiple lesions was documented and at least one of the detected abnormal sites of radio tracer concentration was further examined for histopathology. Findings All patients were on renal replacement therapy. Of these, 18 were on hemodialysis and two were on peritoneal dialysis. 18F-FDG PET/CTscan showed metabolically active lesions in 15 patients and metabolically quiescent in five patients. After 18F-FDG PET/CTscan all, but one patient had a change in treatment for fever. Anti-tuberculous treatment was given in 15 patients, antibiotics in four patients and anti-malaria treatment in one patient. Discussion The present study is first study of 18F-FDG PET/CTscan in patients of end stage renal disease on dialysis with FUO. The study showed that the 18 F FDG PET/CTscan may present an opportunity to attain the diagnosis in end stage renal disease patients on dialysis with FUO.

A newly developed head fixation for intraoperative computerized tomographic (IOCT) scanning is presented. The system is developed based on the head holder of multipurpose head frame and is made of two kinds of advanced engineering material; carbon fiber reinforced plastic for head holder and frames, polyamide-imide polymer for joints, screws, and head pin. Clinical tests including autoclaving and sterilization were performed and revealed all materials had sufficient strength for clinical use. This fixation system enables us to increase the efficacy of IOCT scanning during open-field neurosurgery.

Image-based modeling is a popular approach to perform patient-specific biomechanical simulations. Accurate modeling is critical for orthopedic application to evaluate implant design and surgical planning. It has been shown that bone strength can be estimated from the bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone architecture. However, these findings cannot be directly and fully transferred to patient-specific modeling since only BMD can be derived from clinical CT. Therefore, the objective of this study was to propose a method to predict the trabecular bone structure using a µCT atlas and an image registration technique. The approach has been evaluated on femurs and patellae under physiological loading. The displacement and ultimate force for femurs loaded in stance position were predicted with an error of 2.5% and 3.7%, respectively, while predictions obtained with an isotropic material resulted in errors of 7.3% and 6.9%. Similar results were obtained for the patella, where the strain predicted using the registration approach resulted in an improved mean squared error compared to the isotropic model. We conclude that the registration of anisotropic information from of a single template bone enables more accurate patient-specific simulations from clinical image datasets than isotropic model.

Clean bone segmentation is critical in studying the joint anatomy for measuring the spacing between the bones. However, separation of the coupled bones in CT images is sometimes difficult due to ambiguous gray values coming from the noise and the heterogeneity of bone materials as well as narrowing of the joint space. For fine reconstruction of the individual local boundaries, manual operation is a common practice where the segmentation remains to be a bottleneck. In this paper, we present an automatic method for extracting the joint space by applying graph cut on Markov random field model to the region of interest (ROI) which is identified by a template of 3D bone structures. The template includes encoded articular surface which identifies the tight region of the high-intensity bone boundaries together with the fuzzy joint area of interest. The localized shape information from the template model within the ROI effectively separates the bones nearby. By narrowing the ROI down to the region including two types of tissue, the object extraction problem was reduced to binary segmentation and solved via graph cut. Based on the shape of a joint space marked by the template, the hard constraint was set by the initial seeds which were automatically generated from thresholding and morphological operations. The performance and the robustness of the proposed method are evaluated on 12 volumes of ankle CT data, where each volume includes a set of 4 tarsal bones (calcaneus, talus, navicular and cuboid).

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious common disorder with substantial cost and morbidity to society and can be life threatening in some cases. The majority of VTE is diagnosed on lower extremity ultrasound or CT pulmonary angiography, but some cases of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) may be occasionally diagnosed on CT of the abdomen and pelvis by the alert radiologist. The purpose of our study was to determine the fraction of new/unsuspected DVTs diagnosed on CTAP and the subsequent management and clinical course of these patients. After Institutional Review Board approval, a retrospective search of an institutional imaging database was performed for all cases of DVTs diagnosed on CTs of the abdomen and pelvis. Patients with positive studies were further investigated via clinical chart review for their subsequent management and clinical course. The 90-day mortality of the patients diagnosed with DVT on CTAP was also recorded. Sixty-two patients met the criteria for positive DVT on CTAP. Of these 62 cases, 26 (42 %) were new. Management was substantially changed in 24 out of 26 cases (92 %), most commonly initiation of anticoagulation. The 90-day mortality rate of patients diagnosed with pelvic DVTs on CTAP in our cohort was 21 %. Timely detection of pelvic DVTs can have serious implications for patient management, morbidity, and mortality. The pelvic veins should be included in the search pattern of all radiologists who review CTs of the abdomen and pelvis.

Objectives: To investigate and compare the detection accuracy of bony defects on the condylar surface of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in cone beam CT (CBCT) images scanned with standard and large view protocols on the same machine. Methods: 21 dry human skulls with 42 TMJs were scanned with the large view and standard view protocols of the CBCT scanner Promax 3D (Planmeca, Helsinki, Finland). Seven observers evaluated all the images for the presence or absence of defects on the surface of the condyle. Using the macroscopic examination of condylar defects as the gold standard, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed. Results: Macroscopic examination revealed that, of the 42 condyles, 18 were normal and 24 had a defect on the surface of the condyles. Areas under the ROC curves for the large view and the standard view group of CBCT images were 0.739 and 0.720, respectively, and no significant difference was found between the two groups of images (p = 0.902). Neither the interobserver nor the intraobserver variability were significant. Conclusions: The two scanning protocols provided by the CBCT scanner Promax 3D were reliable and comparable with detection of condylar defects. PMID:23420852

A probabilistic atlas provides important information to help segmentation and registration applications in medical image analysis. We construct a probabilistic atlas by picking a target geometry and mapping other training scans onto that target and then summing the results into one probabilistic atlas. By choosing an atlas space close to the desired target, we construct an atlas that represents the population well. Image registration used to map one image geometry onto another is a primary task in atlas building. One of the main parameters of registration is the choice of degrees of freedom (DOFs) of the geometric transform. Herein, we measure the effect of the registration's DOFs on the segmentation performance of the resulting probabilistic atlas. Twenty-three normal abdominal CTscans were used, and four organs (liver, spinal cord, left and right kidneys) were segmented for each scan. A well-known manifold learning method, ISOMAP, was used to find the best target space to build an atlas. In summary, segmentation performance was high for high DOF registrations regardless of the chosen target space, while segmentation performance was lowered for low DOF registrations if a target space was far from the best target space. At the 0.05 level of statistical significance, there were no significant differences at high DOF registrations while there were significant differences at low DOF registrations when choosing different targets.

We describe a new method for complete opacification of the rectum using helical CT and a newly developed anal contrast agent. Rectal cancers were easily identified in all of the 21 patients examined, and diagnostic accuracy in detecting local invasion was 94%. Our method of rectal CT is easy to perform and well tolerated.

Metal artifacts in computed tomography CT images are one of the main problems in radiation oncology as they introduce uncertainties to target and organ at risk delineation as well as dose calculation. This study is devoted to metal artifact reduction (MAR) based on the monoenergetic extrapolation of a dual energy CT (DECT) dataset. In a phantom study the CT artifacts caused by metals with different densities: aluminum (ρ Al=2.7 g/cm(3)), titanium (ρ Ti=4.5 g/cm(3)), steel (ρ steel=7.9 g/cm(3)) and tungsten (ρ W=19.3g/cm(3)) have been investigated. Data were collected using a clinical dual source dual energy CT (DECT) scanner (Siemens Sector Healthcare, Forchheim, Germany) with tube voltages of 100 kV and 140 kV(Sn). For each tube voltage the data set in a given volume was reconstructed. Based on these two data sets a voxel by voxel linear combination was performed to obtain the monoenergetic data sets. The results were evaluated regarding the optical properties of the images as well as the CT values (HU) and the dosimetric consequences in computed treatment plans. A data set without metal substitute served as the reference. Also, a head and neck patient with dental fillings (amalgam ρ=10 g/cm(3)) was scanned with a single energy CT (SECT) protocol and a DECT protocol. The monoenergetic extrapolation was performed as described above and evaluated in the same way. Visual assessment of all data shows minor reductions of artifacts in the images with aluminum and titanium at a monoenergy of 105 keV. As expected, the higher the densities the more distinctive are the artifacts. For metals with higher densities such as steel or tungsten, no artifact reduction has been achieved. Likewise in the CT values, no improvement by use of the monoenergetic extrapolation can be detected. The dose was evaluated at a point 7 cm behind the isocenter of a static field. Small improvements (around 1%) can be seen with 105 keV. However, the dose uncertainty remains of the order of 10

Objective(s): Sea cucumber is one of the classes of echinoderms, which is considered as a health marine product and possess various biological characteristics with therapeutic application. The present investigation attempted to evaluate the potential of anti-cancer Persian Gulf sea cucumber species Holothuria arenicola (H. arenicola) aqueous extract on mice colon carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Materials and Methods: The CT26 carcinoma cells were treated with various concentrations of extract in 24 and 48 hr, and then its anti-proliferative effect was measured by MTT assay and morphological observations. The apoptotic effect was examined by fluorescence microscopy (DNA fragmentation assay), Flow cytometry, caspase-3 and -9 colorimetric assays. The in vivo anti-tumor efficacy of sea cucumber extract on CT26 tumor cells transplanted in BALB/c mice was also investigated. Results: The results showed that the water extract of sea cucumber revealed remarkable anti-proliferative effect on CT26 tumor cells with IC50= 31 µg/ml with recruitment of intrinsic apoptotic pathway in vitro. In addition, the colon tumor volume in treated groups remarkably reduced in homozygous mice. Histopathological examination elucidated that sea cucumber extract attenuated tumor size and volume along with apoptosis characteristics. Moreover, RT-PCR analysis revealed that sea cucumber extract induced intrinsic apoptosis in vivo through suppression of Bcl-2 expression. Conclusion: Our data confirmed this notion that sea cucumber administrates anti-cancer effect that can be used as complementary in preclinical experiments, so further characterization are recommended for detection sea cucumber metabolites and clinical application. PMID:27279978

Quantification of DICOM CTScans page 21 Data Outputs page 43 3...Radvany of BAMC Radiology and Mr. Ken Webber for assistance with DICOM Query-Retrieve, Ted Wu PhD for technical support with image analysis and Dr. Ronald...were taken at 120 kV and 40 mA. The CT scanner was calibrated using the standard phantoms provided by the vendor. At the designated time points the

Tumor response and time to progression have been considered pivotal for surrogate assessment of treatment efficacy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recent advancements in imaging modalities such as contrast-enhanced ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are playing an important role in assessing the therapeutic effects of HCC treatments. According to some HCC clinical guidelines, post-therapeutic evaluation of HCC patients is based exclusively on contrast-enhanced dynamic imaging criteria. The recommended techniques are contrast-enhanced CT or contrast-enhanced MRI. Contrast-enhanced US is employed more in the positive diagnosis of HCC than in post-therapeutic monitoring. Although contrast enhancement is an important finding on imaging, enhancement does not necessarily depict the same phenomenon across modalities. We need to become well acquainted with the characteristics of each modality, including not only contrast-enhanced CT and MRI but also contrast-enhanced US. Many nonsurgical treatment options are now available for unresectable HCC, and accurate assessment of tumor response is essential to achieve favorable outcomes. For the assessment of successful radiofrequency ablation (RFA), the achievement of a sufficient ablation margin as well the absence of tumor vascular enhancement is essential. To evaluate the response to transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), enhanced tumor shrinkage is relied on as a measure of antitumor activity. Here, we give an overview of the current status of imaging assessment of HCC response to nonsurgical treatments including RFA and TACE.

Quantification of osteolytic lesions in bone is pivotal in the research of metastatic bone disease in small animal models. Osteolytic lesions are quantified using 2D X-ray photographs, which often neglects to take into account any changes in 3D structure. Furthermore, measurement errors are inadvertently introduced when a region of interest with predefined dimensions is used during MicroCT analysis. To study osteolytic processes, a normalized method of selecting a region of interest is required. Here we describe a new method to select volumes of interest in a normalized way regardless of curvature, fractures or dislocations within the bone. In addition, this method enables the user to visualize normalized cross sections in an exact 90° angle or along the longitudinal axis of bone, at any given point. As a result, the user can compare measurements of diameter, volume and structure between different bones in a normalized manner.

Purpose: In computed tomographic colonography (CTC), a patient will be scanned twice--Once supine and once prone--to improve the sensitivity for polyp detection. To assist radiologists in CTC reading, in this paper we propose an automated method for colon registration from supine and prone CTC scans. Methods: We propose a new colon centerline registration method for prone and supine CTC scans using correlation optimized warping (COW) and canonical correlation analysis (CCA) based on the anatomical structure of the colon. Four anatomical salient points on the colon are first automatically distinguished. Then correlation optimized warping is applied to the segments defined by the anatomical landmarks to improve the global registration based on local correlation of segments. The COW method was modified by embedding canonical correlation analysis to allow multiple features along the colon centerline to be used in our implementation. Results: We tested the COW algorithm on a CTC data set of 39 patients with 39 polyps (19 training and 20 test cases) to verify the effectiveness of the proposed COW registration method. Experimental results on the test set show that the COW method significantly reduces the average estimation error in a polyp location between supine and prone scans by 67.6%, from 46.27{+-}52.97 to 14.98 mm{+-}11.41 mm, compared to the normalized distance along the colon centerline algorithm (p<0.01). Conclusions: The proposed COW algorithm is more accurate for the colon centerline registration compared to the normalized distance along the colon centerline method and the dynamic time warping method. Comparison results showed that the feature combination of z-coordinate and curvature achieved lowest registration error compared to the other feature combinations used by COW. The proposed method is tolerant to centerline errors because anatomical landmarks help prevent the propagation of errors across the entire colon centerline.

Primary renal neuroblastoma is an uncommon tumor in children and extremely rare in adults. We present a case of a middle aged female having a large retroperitoneal mass involving the right kidney with features of neuroblastoma on pre-operative histopathology. Whole-body fluorine-18-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography ((18)F-FDG PET/CT) and (68)Ga-dotanoc PET/CTscans performed for staging and therapeutic potential revealed a tracer avid mass replacing the right kidney and also pelvic lymph nodes. The (18)F-FDG PET/CTscan showed better both the primary lesion and the metastases in the pelvic lymph nodes than the (68)Ga-dotanoc scan supporting diagnosis and treatment planning.

Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPP) crystal deposition in the articular cartilage can often be seen radiographically as chondrocalcinosis (CC). CPP crystals preferentially deposit in fibrocartilages such as the knee menisci and symphysis pubis (SP). We sought to determine the prevalence of CC in the SP on computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis. This retrospective study involved readings on 1070 consecutive CTs of the abdomen and pelvis performed over 3 months in patients over 65 years of age. Medical records of 226 patients found to have CC were reviewed to determine age, gender, documentation of CPPD on problem lists or in medical histories, and whether radiology readings of the CTs mentioned CC. SP CC was identified in 21.1 % (226/1070) of consecutive CTscans with the mean age of CT+ patients being 78.6. Of the 226 patients with SP CC, the observation of CC was documented in only 5.3 % (12/226) of the radiology reports. Of the 12 instances in which the radiology reports mentioned CC, this observation was never (0/12) transmitted to the medical history or problem list. The prevalence of SP CC in patients older than 65 was 21.1 %. Since the majority of CTs of the abdomen and pelvis are not ordered for evaluation of musculoskeletal conditions, this is likely a true prevalence without selection bias. When CC of the SP was present on images, radiologists routinely overlooked or chose not to report CC. Even in the rare instances when it was reported, that information was not added to the medical history or problem list. There are several clinical situations (e.g., acute monoarthritis or atypical osteoarthritis) in which recognizing that a patient has CPP deposition would be useful. Taking the time to review images may yield clinically important findings that are not mentioned anywhere on the patient chart.

Although a full understanding of the hepatic circulation is one of the keys to successfully perform liver surgery and to elucidate liver pathology, relatively little is known about the functional organization of the liver vasculature. Therefore, we materialized and visualized the human hepatic vasculature at different scales, and performed a morphological analysis by combining vascular corrosion casting with novel micro-computer tomography (CT) and image analysis techniques. A human liver vascular corrosion cast was obtained by simultaneous resin injection in the hepatic artery (HA) and portal vein (PV). A high resolution (110 μm) micro-CTscan of the total cast allowed gathering detailed macrovascular data. Subsequently, a mesocirculation sample (starting at generation 5; 88 × 68 × 80 mm³) and a microcirculation sample (terminal vessels including sinusoids; 2.0 × 1.5 × 1.7 mm³) were dissected and imaged at a 71-μm and 2.6-μm resolution, respectively. Segmentations and 3D reconstructions allowed quantifying the macro-and mesoscale branching topology, and geometrical features of HA, PV and hepatic venous trees up to 13 generations (radii ranging from 13.2 mm to 80 μm; lengths from 74.4 mm to 0.74 mm), as well as microvascular characteristics (mean sinusoidal radius of 6.63 μm). Combining corrosion casting and micro-CT imaging allows quantifying the branching topology and geometrical features of hepatic trees using a multiscale approach from the macro-down to the microcirculation. This may lead to novel insights into liver circulation, such as internal blood flow distributions and anatomical consequences of pathologies (e.g. cirrhosis). PMID:24433401

The clinical effectiveness and concurrent validity of Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB) was assessed in a sample of 30 brain-damaged and 30 non-patient, normal control subjects. Both the groups were matched for age, sex and education. There were highly significant differences between the mean scale scores of the two groups on all LNNB clinical scales. Brain damaged patients did poorer than normal controls. The LNNB had a hit rate of86.66% in diagnosing brain-damaged patients in comparison to 70% and 52% of EEG and CTscan respectively. The three measures were found to be significantly correlated with each other. The LNNB was found to be an effective instrument for neuropsychological assessment. PMID:21584044

This paper proposes a method for segmenting the airways from CTscans of the chest to obtain a 3D model that can be used in the virtual bronchoscopy for the exploration and the planning of paths to the lesions. The method is composed of 3 stages: a gross segmentation that reconstructs the main airway tree using adaptive region growing, a finer segmentation that identifies any potential airway region based on a 2D process that enhances bronchi walls using local information, and a final process to connect any isolated bronchus to the main airways using a morphologic reconstruction process and a path planning technique. The paper includes two examples for the evaluation and discussion of the proposal.

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by decreased bone mass and progressive deterioration of the microstructure, affecting both mineral density and bone's fragility. Current diagnoses are only measuring apparent bone mineral density (AppBMD). Using our newly developed scanning confocal acoustic diagnostic (SCAD) system, we evaluated the ability of quantitative ultrasound in noninvasively predicting bone's quantity and quality on 19 human cadaver calcanei. Results show that ultrasound attenuation image on intact calcaneus represents bone mass distribution. High correlation (R=0.82) exists between SCAD determined broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and DXA determined AppBMD at the calcaneus, as well as in the AppBMD result at femoral neck (R=0.81). SCAD determined BUA and ultrasound velocity (UV) are highly correlated with the micro-CT and mechanical testing determined bone quantity and quality parameters. These results suggest that image-based quantitative ultrasound is able to identify ROI and predict both bone mass and strength.

Data regarding the posterior slope of the tibia (PTS) are limited and sometimes conflicting. The purpose of this study was to determine the native posterior tibial slope in patients undergoing a medial or lateral UKA. A retrospective review was performed on 2395 CTscans in patients indicated for UKA, and the PTS of the osteoarthritic compartment was measured relative to a plane set perpendicular to the sagittal, tibial mechanical axis. The mean preoperative PTS in patients undergoing medial UKA was 6.8°+3.3°, with 34.3% between 4° and 7°. The mean preoperative PTS in patients undergoing lateral UKA was 8.0°+3.3°, with 27.5% between 4° and 7°. If attempting to recreate a patient's preoperative tibial slope, a routine target of 5° to 7° will produce a posterior slope less than the patient's native anatomy in 47% of patients undergoing UKA. This is the first, large CT-based review of posterior slope variation of the proximal tibia in patients undergoing UKA.

The detection of pulmonary nodules is one of the most studied problems in the field of medical image analysis due to the great difficulty in the early detection of such nodules and their social impact. The traditional approach involves the development of a multistage CAD system capable of informing the radiologist of the presence or absence of nodules. One stage in such systems is the detection of ROI (regions of interest) that may be nodules in order to reduce the space of the problem. This paper evaluates fuzzy clustering algorithms that employ different classification strategies to achieve this goal. After characterising these algorithms, the authors propose a new algorithm and different variations to improve the results obtained initially. Finally it is shown as the most recent developments in fuzzy clustering are able to detect regions that may be nodules in CT studies. The algorithms were evaluated using helical thoracic CTscans obtained from the database of the LIDC (Lung Image Database Consortium). PMID:27517049

The oncophilic complex of technetium-99m labeled pentavalent dimercaptosuccinic acid (99mTc(V)-DMSA) has been successfully used for the detection of primary and metastatic medullary thyroid cancer and for imaging various soft tissue tumors like lung, brain and prostate cancer. In this article, the role of 99mTc(V)-DMSA in the diagnosis of the primary tumor and metastases of osteosarcoma patients as compared to the 99mTc-MDP scan and the CTscan was studied. Twenty-eight patients with bone disease were referred to the Nuclear Medicine Department of Saint Savas Oncology Hospital in Athens from the Orthopedics Department of the same Hospital. From them, 18 (Group A) had osteosarcoma, 7 (Group B) osteomyelitis and 3 (Group C) bone fractures. The final diagnosis was made after fine needle aspiration biopsy. All patients were subjected to the 99mTc(V)-DMSA scan, the standard bone scan (99mTc-MDP) and CTscan. Group A patients showed a selective uptake of 99mTc(V)-DMSA in the primary tumor region. No abnormal 99mTc(V)-DMSA uptake was observed in the patients of Groups B and C. The 99mTc(V)-DMSA scan was found to be superior to the 99mTc-MDP and the CTscans in identifying metastases of osteosarcoma. Sensitivity was 100%, 86% and 98% respectively.

This study aimed to determine if performing cerebrospinal fluid spectrophotometry in addition to visual inspection detects more ruptured cerebral aneurysms than performing cerebrospinal fluid visual inspection alone in patients with a normal head CTscan but suspected of suffering an aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). We performed a single-centre retrospective study of patients presenting to the emergency department of a tertiary hospital who underwent both head CTscan and lumbar puncture to exclude SAH. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of an approach utilising both spectrophotometry and visual inspection (combined approach) was compared to visual inspection alone. A total of 409 patients (mean age 37.8 years, 56.2% female) were recruited and six (1.5%) had a cerebral aneurysm on angiography. The sensitivity of visual inspection was 50% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 12.4-82.6%), specificity was 99% (95% CI: 97.5-99.7%), PPV was 42.9% (95% CI: 10.4-81.3%) and NPV was 99.2% (95% CI: 97.8-99.8%). The combined approach had a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 54.1-100%), specificity of 79.7% (95% CI: 75.4-83.5%), PPV of 6.8% (95% CI: 2.6-14.3%) and a NPV of 100% (95% CI: 98.8-100%). The sensitivity of the combined approach was not significantly different to that of visual inspection alone (p=0.25). Visual inspection had a significantly higher specificity than the combined approach (p<0.01). The combined approach detected more cases of aneurysmal SAH than visual inspection alone, however the difference in sensitivity was not statistically significant. Visual xanthochromia should prompt angiography because of a superior specificity and PPV. Due to its reduced sensitivity, caution should be applied when using only visual inspection of the supernatant.

Uncertainty in bedload estimates for gravel bed rivers is largely driven by our inability to characterize arrangement, orientation and resultant forces of fluvial sediment in river beds. Water working of grains leads to structural differences between areas of the bed through particle sorting, packing, imbrication, mortaring and degree of bed armoring. In this study, non-destructive, micro-focus X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging in 3D is used to visualize, quantify and assess the internal geometry of sections of a flume bed that have been extracted keeping their fabric intact. Flume experiments were conducted at 1:1 scaling of our prototype river. From the volume, center of mass, points of contact, and protrusion of individual grains derived from 3D scan data we estimate 3D static force properties at the grain-scale such as pivoting angles, buoyancy and gravity forces, and local grain exposure. Here metrics are derived for images from two flume experiments: one with a bed of coarse grains (>4mm) and the other where sand and clay were incorporated into the coarse flume bed. In addition to deriving force networks, comparison of metrics such as critical shear stress, pivot angles, grain distributions, principle axis orientation, and pore space over depth are made. This is the first time bed stability has been studied in 3D using CTscanned images of sediment from the bed surface to depths well into the subsurface. The derived metrics, inter-granular relationships and characterization of bed structures will lead to improved bedload estimates with reduced uncertainty, as well as improved understanding of relationships between sediment structure, grain size distribution and channel topography.

Purpose To assess the influence of anatomic location on the relationship between computed tomography (CT) number and X-ray attenuation in limited and medium field-of-view (FOV) scans. Materials and Methods Tubes containing solutions with different concentrations of K2HPO4 were placed in the tooth sockets of a human head phantom. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were acquired, and CT numbers of the K2HPO4 solutions were measured. The relationship between CT number and K2HPO4 concentration was examined by linear regression analyses. Then, the variation in CT number according to anatomic location was examined. Results The relationship between K2HPO4 concentration and CT number was strongly linear. The slopes of the linear regressions for the limited FOVs were almost 2-fold lower than those for the medium FOVs. The absolute CT number differed between imaging protocols and anatomic locations. Conclusion There is a strong linear relationship between X-ray attenuation and CT number. The specific imaging protocol and anatomic location of the object strongly influence this relationship. PMID:25473635

We report on a female fetus noted to have severe malformative type of skeletal dysplasia on ultrasonography done at 35 weeks gestation. The girl died shortly after birth. Clinical examination showed a fetus with severe dwarfism, extensive long and short bones, and bone deficiencies associated with multiple dislocations. Computed tomography (CT) scan-based phenotype showed a complex constellation of malformations consistent with the diagnosis of Grebe syndrome. Parents being first cousins (consanguineous marriage) strongly suggests autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. To our knowledge, this is the first report of neonatal death dwarfism of Grebe syndrome analyzed by CTscan-based phenotype. PMID:25337439

In image-guided cochlear implant surgery an electrode array is implanted in the cochlea to treat hearing loss. Access to the cochlea is achieved by drilling from the outer skull to the cochlea through the facial recess, a region bounded by the facial nerve and the chorda tympani. To exploit existing methods for computing automatically safe drilling trajectories, the facial nerve and chorda tympani need to be segmented. The effectiveness of traditional segmentation approaches to achieve this is severely limited because the facial nerve and chorda are small structures (~1 mm and ~0.3 mm in diameter, respectively) and exhibit poor image contrast. We have recently proposed a technique to achieve this task in adult patients, which relies on statistical models of the structures. These models contain intensity and shape information along the central axes of both structures. In this work we use the same method to segment pediatric scans. We show that substantial differences exist between the anatomy of children and the anatomy of adults, which lead to poor segmentation results when an adult model is used to segment a pediatric volume. We have built a new model for pediatric cases and we have applied it to ten scans. A leave-one-out validation experiment was conducted in which manually segmented structures were compared to automatically segmented structures. The maximum segmentation error was 1 mm. This result indicates that accurate segmentation of the facial nerve and chorda in pediatric scans is achievable, thus suggesting that safe drilling trajectories can also be computed automatically.

Previous studies have reported that the ageing method of Suchey-Brooks (pubic bone) and some of the features applied by Lovejoy et al. and Buckberry-Chamberlain (auricular surface) can be confidently performed on 3D visualizations from CT-scans. In this study, seven observers applied the Suchey-Brooks and the Buckberry-Chamberlain methods on 3D visualizations based on CT-scans and, for the first time, on 3D visualizations from laser scans. We examined how the bone features can be evaluated on 3D visualizations and whether the different modalities (direct observations of bones, 3D visualization from CT-scan and from laser scans) are alike to different observers. We found the best inter-observer agreement for the bones versus 3D visualizations, with the highest values for the auricular surface. Between the 3D modalities, less variability was obtained for the 3D laser visualizations. Fair inter-observer agreement was obtained in the evaluation of the pubic bone in all modalities. In 3D visualizations of the auricular surfaces, transverse organization and apical changes could be evaluated, although with high inter-observer variability; micro-, macroporosity and surface texture were very difficult to score. In conclusion, these methods were developed for dry bones, where they perform best. The Suchey-Brooks method can be applied on 3D visualizations from CT or laser, but with less accuracy than on dry bone. The Buckberry-Chamberlain method should be modified before application on 3D visualizations. Future investigation should focus on a different approach and different features: 3D laser scans could be analyzed with mathematical approaches and sub-surface features should be explored on CT-scans.

One of the most important problems in the segmentation of lung nodules in CT imaging arises from possible attachments occurring between nodules and other lung structures, such as vessels or pleura. In this report, we address the problem of vessels attachments by proposing an automated correction method applied to an initial rough segmentation of the lung nodule. The method is based on a local shape analysis of the initial segmentation making use of 3-D geodesic distance map representations. The correction method has the advantage that it locally refines the nodule segmentation along recognized vessel attachments only, without modifying the nodule boundary elsewhere. The method was tested using a simple initial rough segmentation, obtained by a fixed image thresholding. The validation of the complete segmentation algorithm was carried out on small lung nodules, identified in the ITALUNG screening trial and on small nodules of the lung image database consortium (LIDC) dataset. In fully automated mode, 217/256 (84.8%) lung nodules of ITALUNG and 139/157 (88.5%) individual marks of lung nodules of LIDC were correctly outlined and an excellent reproducibility was also observed. By using an additional interactive mode, based on a controlled manual interaction, 233/256 (91.0%) lung nodules of ITALUNG and 144/157 (91.7%) individual marks of lung nodules of LIDC were overall correctly segmented. The proposed correction method could also be usefully applied to any existent nodule segmentation algorithm for improving the segmentation quality of juxta-vascular nodules.

In this study, a fully automated texture-based segmentation and recognition system for lesion and lungs from CT of thorax is presented. For the segmentation part, we have extracted texture features by Gabor filtering the images, and, then combined these features to segment the target volume by using Fuzzy C Means (FCM) clustering. Since clustering is sensitive to initialization of cluster prototypes, optimal initialization of the cluster prototypes was done by using a Genetic Algorithm. For the recognition stage, we have used cortex like mechanism for extracting statistical features in addition to shape-based features. The segmented regions showed a high degree of imbalance between positive and negative samples, so we employed over and under sampling for balancing the data. Finally, the balanced and normalized data was subjected to Support Vector Machine (SimpleSVM) for training and testing. Results reveal an accuracy of delineation to be 94.06%, 94.32% and 89.04% for left lung, right lung and lesion, respectively. Average sensitivity of the SVM classifier was seen to be 89.48%.

The clinical use of offline positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans for proton range verification is currently under investigation at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Validation is achieved by comparing measured activity distributions, acquired in patients after receiving one fraction of proton irradiation, with corresponding Monte Carlo (MC) simulated distributions. Deviations between measured and simulated activity distributions can either reflect errors during the treatment chain from planning to delivery or they can be caused by various inherent challenges of the offline PET/CT verification method. We performed a systematic analysis to assess the impact of the following aspects on the feasibility and accuracy of the offline PET/CT method: (1) biological washout processes, (2) patient motion, (3) Hounsfield unit (HU) based tissue classification for the simulation of the activity distributions and (4) tumor site specific aspects. It was found that the spatial reproducibility of the measured activity distributions is within 1 mm. However, the feasibility of range verification is restricted to a limited amount of positions and tumor sites. Washout effects introduce discrepancies between the measured and simulated ranges of about 4 mm at positions where the proton beam stops in soft tissue. Motion causes spatial deviations of up to 3 cm between measured and simulated activity distributions in abdominopelvic tumor cases. In these later cases, the MC simulated activity distributions were found to be limited to about 35% accuracy in absolute values and about 2 mm in spatial accuracy depending on the correlativity of HU into the physical and biological parameters of the irradiated tissue. Besides, for further specific tumor locations, the beam arrangement, the limited accuracy of rigid co-registration and organ movements can prevent the success of PET/CT range verification. All the addressed factors explain why the proton beam range can

Abdominal wall metastases from colorectal cancer (CRC) may be resected with curative results. Such lesions, often indicators of additional intra-abdominal lesions, may appear in surgical scars, stomas and port site metastases after laparoscope-assisted surgery (LAS). Post-operative changes, primarily surgical scars, alter local physical findings making early detection of small lesions challenging. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the contribution of PET/CT to the diagnosis of recurrent colorectal cancer in the post-operative abdominal wall. 120 patients were referred for PET/CT with suspected recurrent CRC based on clinical, radiological or laboratory findings. All underwent whole body PET/CT imaging. 12 of these 120 (10%), were found to have abdominal wall lesions. A total of 16 abdominal wall lesions were detected, located to surgical scars, stomas, drain and laparoscope ports. Additional findings on PET/CT in this group included liver metastases, intra-abdominal lesions and retroperitoneal lymph node involvement. In general, the patients in this small group were young with high grade tumours presenting in advanced stages. In conclusion, PET/CT appears to be a sensitive tool for the diagnosis of abdominal wall recurrence of CRC. The accuracy of localization afforded by the fused functional and anatomic images makes PET/CT a likely tool for diagnosing abdominal wall lesions, including port site metastases of other aetiologies.

Overexpression of C-terminal binding protein-2 (CtBP2) has been noted to correlate with cancer metastasis in several human cancers including breast cancer. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of cyclase-associated protein 1 (CAP1) overexpression on CtBP2 expression and related mechanism in the metastasis of breast cancer. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed in 100 human breast carcinoma samples, and the data were correlated with clinicopathologic features. Furthermore, Western blot analysis was performed for CAP1 and CtBP2 in breast carcinoma samples and cell lines to evaluate their protein levels and molecular interaction. We found that the expression of CAP1 was positively related to CtBP2 expression (P<0.01); moreover, CAP1 expression was significantly correlated with histologic grade (P<0.01) and negatively related to E-cadherin expression (P<0.01). Meanwhile, CtBP2 expression obtained similar results. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that overexpression of CAP1 and CtBP2 exhibited a significant correlation with poor prognosis in human breast cancer (P<0.01). While in vitro, we employed siRNA technique to knockdown CAP1 and CtBP2 expressions and observed their effects on MDA-MB-231 cells growth. CtBP2 depletion by siRNA-inhibited cell proliferation, resulted in increased E-cadherin levels. Moreover, knockdown of CAP1 resulted in decreased CtBP2 and increased E-cadherin expression. On the basis of these results, we suggested that CAP1's oncogenic abilities appear to be triggered at least in part by the modulation of CtBP2 and E-cadherin, which might serve as a future target for breast cancer.

Current clinical imaging methods face limitations in the detection and correct characterization of different subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), while these are important for therapy and prognosis. The present study evaluates the potential of grating-based X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (gbPC-CT) for visualization and characterization of human RCC subtypes. The imaging results for 23 ex vivo formalin-fixed human kidney specimens obtained with phase-contrast CT were compared to the results of the absorption-based CT (gbCT), clinical CT and a 3T MRI and validated using histology. Regions of interest were placed on each specimen for quantitative evaluation. Qualitative and quantitative gbPC-CT imaging could significantly discriminate between normal kidney cortex (54 ± 4 HUp) and clear cell (42 ± 10), papillary (43 ± 6) and chromophobe RCCs (39 ± 7), p CT, gbCT and clinical CT, respectively. RCC architecture like fibrous strands, pseudocapsules, necrosis or hyalinization was depicted clearly in gbPC-CT and was not equally well visualized in gbCT, clinical CT and MRI. The results show that gbPC-CT enables improved discrimination of normal kidney parenchyma and tumorous tissues as well as different soft-tissue components of RCCs without the use of contrast media. PMID:28361951

For the analysis of interior geometry and property changes of a large-sized analog model during a loading or other medium (water or oil) injection process with a non-destructive way, a consecutive X-ray computed tomography (XCT) short-scan method is developed to realize an in-situ tomography imaging. With this method, the X-ray tube and detector rotate 270° around the center of the guide rail synchronously by switching positive and negative directions alternately on the way of translation until all the needed cross-sectional slices are obtained. Compared with traditional industrial XCTs, this method well solves the winding problems of high voltage cables and oil cooling service pipes during the course of rotation, also promotes the convenience of the installation of high voltage generator and cooling system. Furthermore, hardware costs are also significantly decreased. This kind of scanner has higher spatial resolution and penetrating ability than medical XCTs. To obtain an effective sinogram which matches rotation angles accurately, a structural similarity based method is applied to elimination of invalid projection data which do not contribute to the image reconstruction. Finally, on the basis of geometrical symmetry property of fan-beam CTscanning, a whole sinogram filling a full 360° range is produced and a standard filtered back-projection (FBP) algorithm is performed to reconstruct artifacts-free images. PMID:27537104

Microtomography has been used in soil physics for characterization and allows non-destructive analysis with high-resolution, yielding a three-dimensional representation of pore space and fluid distribution. It also allows quantitative characterization of pore space, including pore size distribution, shape, connectivity, porosity, tortuosity, orientation, preferential pathways and is also possible predict the saturated hydraulic conductivity using Darcy's equation and a modified Poiseuille's equation. Connectivity of pore space is an important topological property of soil. Together with porosity and pore-size distribution, it governs transport of water, solutes and gases. In order to quantify and analyze pore space (quantifying connectivity of pores and porosity) of four tropical soils from Brazil with different texture and land use, undisturbed samples were collected in São Paulo State, Brazil, with PVC ring with 7.5 cm in height and diameter of 7.5 cm, depth of 10 - 30 cm from soil surface. Image acquisition was performed with a CT system Nikon XT H 225, with technical specifications of dual reflection-transmission target system including a 225 kV, 225 W high performance Xray source equipped with a reflection target with pot size of 3 μm combined with a nano-focus transmission module with a spot size of 1 μm. The images were acquired at specific energy level for each soil type, according to soil texture, and external copper filters were used in order to allow the attenuation of low frequency X-ray photons and passage of one monoenergetic beam. This step was performed aiming minimize artifacts such as beam hardening that may occur during the attenuation in the material interface with different densities within the same sample. Images were processed and analyzed using ImageJ/Fiji software. Retention curve (tension table and the pressure chamber methods), saturated hydraulic conductivity (constant head permeameter), granulometry, soil density and particle density

Using CT images from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), interpreted by radiologists at the Georgetown University, our goal was to investigate the feature extraction method using discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and to demonstrate their potential in distinguishing between benign and malignant nodule status. We analyzed multiple 2 mm thick slices of 40 subjects with benign nodules and 7 subjects with malignant nodules for a total of 112 and 78 slices, respectively. Data was analyzed in the region-of-interest (ROI) that included nodule and surrounding areas in three different-sized windows. A linear discriminant analysis (LDA) of wavelets coefficients was used for data analysis. In particular we examined discriminative power of the wavelet based features using Fisher LDA, and evaluated the classification results using decision matrix (DM) for matched sample (MS). For visualization we used 3-D Heat Maps, originally developed in MATLAB(R) (MathWorks, Natick, MA) for gene expression array analysis, modified to display the magnitude of similarities between cases under analysis. The use of DWT in the image pre-processing modules resulted in a significant improvement in discrimination between benign and malignant nodules. The results show better classification accuracy with the DWT based features, as compared to previously proposed classification features (p-values: 0.008, 0.022, and 0.039, depending on window size). The Heat Maps provide useful data visualization for further investigation as they have the ability to identify cases that should be further explored to understand why some of the benign nodules look similar to malignant in the wavelet domain.

This study presents a novel computer-assisted detection (CAD) system for automatically detecting and precisely quantifying abnormal nodular branching opacities in chest computed tomography (CT), termed tree-in-bud (TIB) opacities by radiology literature. The developed CAD system in this study is based on 1) fast localization of candidate imaging patterns using local scale information of the images, and 2) Möobius invariant feature extraction method based on learned local shape and texture properties of TIB patterns. For fast localization of candidate imaging patterns, we use ball-scale filtering and, based on the observation of the pattern of interest, a suitable scale selection is used to retain only small size patterns. Once candidate abnormality patterns are identified, we extract proposed shape features from regions where at least one candidate pattern occupies. The comparative evaluation of the proposed method with commonly used CAD methods is presented with a dataset of 60 chest CTs (laboratory confirmed 39 viral bronchiolitis human parainfluenza CTs and 21 normal chest CTs). The quantitative results are presented as the area under the receiver operator characteristics curves and a computer score (volume affected by TIB) provided as an output of the CAD system. In addition, a visual grading scheme is applied to the patient data by three well-trained radiologists. Inter-observer and observer–computer agreements are obtained by the relevant statistical methods over different lung zones. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed CAD system can achieve high detection rates with an overall accuracy of 90.96%.Moreover, correlations of observer–observer (R2 = 0.8848,p <0.01) and observer–CAD agreements (R2 = 0.824,p <0.01) validate the feasibility of the use of the proposed CAD system in detecting and quantifying TIB patterns. PMID:22434795

MAGE-C1/CT7, NY-ESO-1, GAGE and MAGE-A4 are members of the cancer/testis (CT) antigen family, which have been proposed as potential targets for cancer immunotherapy. To determine the prevalence and biologic relevance of the novel CT antigen MAGE-C1/CT7 and other antigens, 36 ovarian borderline tumours (BTs), 230 primary ovarian carcinomas (OCs) and 80 recurrent OCs were immunohistochemically analysed using the monoclonal antibodies CT7-33 (MAGE-C1/CT7), E978 (NY-ESO-1), clone 26 (GAGE) and 57B (MAGE-A4). Positivity of at least one CT antigen was present in 39.5 % (81/205) of primary OC and in 50 % (26/52) of all recurrences. Expression of the novel CT antigen MAGE-C1/CT7 was most commonly seen with positivity in 24.5 % of primary and 35.1 % of recurrent OC. MAGE-A4, GAGE and NY-ESO-1 expressions were seen in 22.7, 13.9 and 7.1 % of primary and 22.6, 17.5 and 8.9 % of recurrent OC, respectively. Analysis of histological subtypes (serous, endometrioid, clear cell, mucinous and transitional) exhibited variable expression with negativity in all mucinous OC. High-grade serous OC revealed CT antigen expression in 5.6 to 28 % with MAGE-C1/CT7 being the most frequent, but without correlation with stage or overall survival. MAGE-C1/CT7 expression and coexpression of CT antigens were significantly correlated with grade of endometrioid OC. None of the BT showed CT antigen expression. No significant correlation was seen with stage, overall survival or response to chemotherapy. In summary, CT antigens are expressed in a certain subset of OC with no expression in BT or OC of mucinous histology. These findings may have implications for the design of polyvalent vaccination strategies for ovarian carcinomas.

As fluorine-18-fluorodesoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ( (18)F-FDG PET/CT) is gaining wider availability, more and more patients with malignancies undergo whole body PET/CT, mostly to assess tumor spread in the rest of the body, but not in the brain. Brain is a common site of metastatic spread in patients with solid extracranial tumors. Gold standard in the diagnosis of brain metastases remains magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However MRI is not routinely indicated and is not available for all cancer patients. Fluorine-18-FDG PET is considered as having poor sensitivity in detecting brain metastases, but this may not be true for PET/CT. The aim of our study was to assess the value of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in the detection of brain metastases found by whole body scan including the brain, in patients with solid extracranial neoplasms. A total of 2502 patients with solid extracranial neoplasms were studied. All patients underwent a routine whole body (18)F-FDG PET/CTscan with the whole brain included in the scanned field. Patients with known or suspected brain metastases were preliminary excluded from the study. Hypermetabolic and ring-like brain lesions on the PET scan were considered as metastases. Lesions with CT characteristics of brain metastases were regarded as such irrespective of their metabolic pattern. Lesions in doubt were verified by MRI during first testing or on follow-up or by operation. Our results showed that brain lesions, indicative of and verified to be metastases were detected in 25 out of the 2502 patients (1%), with lung cancer being the most common primary. Twenty three out of these 25 patients had no neurological symptoms by the time of the scan. The detection rate of brain metastases was relatively low, but information was obtained with a minimum increase of radiation burden. In conclusion, whole body (18)F-FDG PET/CT detected brain metastases in 1% of the patients if brain was included in the scanned field. Brain

Postoperative complications frequently follow major abdominal surgery and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and treatment of complications is associated with improved patient outcome. In this study we assessed the value of a step-up diagnosis plan by C-reactive protein and CT-scan (computed tomography-scan) imaging for detection of postoperative complications following major abdominal surgery.An observational cohort study was conducted of 399 consecutivepatients undergoing major abdominal surgery between January 2009 and January 2011. Indication for operation, type of surgery, postoperative morbidity, complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classification and mortality were recorded. Clinical parameters were recorded until 14 days postoperatively or until discharge. Regular C-reactive protein (CPR) measurements in peripheral blood and on indication -enhanced CT-scans were performed.Eighty-three out of 399 (20.6 %) patients developed a major complication in the postoperative course after a median of seven days (IQR 4-9 days). One hundred and thirty two patients received additional examination consisting of enhanced CT-scan imaging, and treatment by surgical reintervention or intensive care observation. CRP levels were significantly higher in patients with postoperative complications. On the second postoperative dayCRP levels were on average 197.4 mg/L in the uncomplicated group, 220.9 mg/L in patients with a minor complication and 280.1 mg/L in patients with major complications (p < 0,001).CT-scan imaging showed a sensitivity of 91.7 % and specificity of 100 % in diagnosis of major complications. Based on clinical deterioration and the increase of CRP, an additional enhanced CT-scan offered clear discrimination between patients with major abdominal complications and uncomplicated patients. Adequate treatment could then be accomplished.

C-arm-based cone-beam CT (CBCT) systems with flat-panel detectors are suitable for diagnostic knee imaging due to their potentially flexible selection of CT trajectories and wide volumetric beam coverage. In knee CT imaging, over-exposure artifacts can occur because of limitations in the dynamic range of the flat panel detectors present on most CBCT systems. We developed a straightforward but effective method for correction and detection of over-exposure for an Automatic Exposure Control (AEC)-enabled standard knee scan incorporating a prior low dose scan. The radiation dose associated with the low dose scan was negligible (0.0042mSv, 2.8% increase) which was enabled by partially sampling the projection images considering the geometry of the knees and lowering the dose further to be able to just see the skin-air interface. We combined the line integrals from the AEC and low dose scans after detecting over-exposed regions by comparing the line profiles of the two scans detector row-wise. The combined line integrals were reconstructed into a volumetric image using filtered back projection. We evaluated our method using in vivo human subject knee data. The proposed method effectively corrected and detected over-exposure, and thus recovered the visibility of exterior tissues (e.g., the shape and density of the patella, and the patellar tendon), incorporating a prior low dose scan with a negligible increase in radiation exposure.

Computer aided x-ray microtomography is an increasingly popular method to investigate the structure of materials. Continuing improvements in the technique are resulting in increasingly larger data sets. The analysis of these data sets generally involves executing a static workflow for multiple samples and is generally performed manually by researchers. Executing these processes requires a significant time investment. A workflow which is able to automate the activities of the user would be useful. In this work, we have developed an automated workflow for the analysis of microtomography scanned bread dough data sets averaging 5 GB in size. Comparing the automated workflow with the manual workflow indicates a significant amount of the time spent (33% in the case of bread dough) on user interactions in manual method. Both workflows return similar results for porosity and pore frequency distribution. Finally, by implementing an automated workflow, users save the time which would be required to manually execute the workflow. This time can be spent on more productive tasks.

Summary Background According to literature, the incidence of pain in knee prostheses is on the increase. In the last decade Authors have focused attention on rotational alignment of the prosthetic components. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of a new angle, which we define as patellar angle, in order to achieve early diagnosis of malrotation. Methods We set up a retrospective observational study recruiting 100 subjects who had undergone total knee prosthesis. 50 subjects suffered from knee anterior pain and 50 without any symptoms. Through CAT scan and VITREA software®, we were able to study the rotation of prosthetic components. We defined a new angle, which links the tibial component and the patella margins. The angles were measured by two different orthopaedic surgeons blinded to the study. Results The patella angle ranged from 10 to 28°, with an average value of 23.2° in the control group; in the study group the angle ranged from 26 to 34°, with an average value of 29.9°. Conclusion Our data supported the reproducibility and efficacy of new angular value. It would represent a new method to detect tibial rotational malalignment. Level of evidence IV. PMID:28217567

Little is known about mechanisms of speech production in parrots. Recently, however, techniques for correlating vocal tract shape with vowel production in humans have become more sophisticated and we have adapted these techniques for use with parrots. We scanned two grey parrot heads with intact vocal tracts. One specimen, 'Oldbird' was fixed with its beak propped open; the second 'Youngbird' was fixed with its beak closed. Using VIDA software, we (1) established that differences in tongue and larynx positioning resulted from opening or closing the beak; and (2) obtained lengths and area functions for the trachea, glottis, pharynx, mouth, and choana for both specimens and esophageal length and area functions for the first specimen. We entered lengths and area functions into a 1D wave propagation model to determine the natural formant frequencies associated with an open versus closed beak. We also determined how manipulating lengths and area functions could affect formant frequency and relative intensity. Finally, by comparing observed grey parrot vowel formant, we predict how the parrot uses its vocal tract to produce speech.

In this paper, we propose a new registration method for prone and supine computed tomographic colonography scans using graph matching. We formulate 3-D colon registration as a graph matching problem and propose a new graph matching algorithm based on mean field theory. In the proposed algorithm, we solve the matching problem in an iterative way. In each step, we use mean field theory to find the matched pair of nodes with highest probability. During iterative optimization, one-to-one matching constraints are added to the system in a step-by-step approach. Prominent matching pairs found in previous iterations are used to guide subsequent mean field calculations. The proposed method was found to have the best performance with smallest standard deviation compared with two other baseline algorithms called the normalized distance along the colon centerline (NDACC) ( p = 0.17) with manual colon centerline correction and spectral matching ( p < 1e-5). A major advantage of the proposed method is that it is fully automatic and does not require defining a colon centerline for registration. For the latter NDACC method, user interaction is almost always needed for identifying the colon centerlines.

Primary small cell carcinoma (SCC) is a group of aggressive neoplasms that mainly arise from the lung and digestive tract. Endometrial small cell carcinoma (ESCC) is extremely rare. To our knowledge, less than 90 cases have been reported, and most of these reports were dedicated to describing the clinicopathologic or immunochemical features of ESCC. Herein, we present a new case of ESCC involving a 51-year-old woman and mainly focus on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) findings. MRI showed that the uterus was significantly enlarged (11.6 cm × 11.1 cm × 14.4 cm), and a giant irregular mass (7.5 cm × 8.4 cm × 8.5 cm) was observed in the uterine cavity. The lesion demonstrated an extremely low apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value [(0.553±0.088)×10–3 mm2/s] and a high FDG uptake value (22.7). Multiple metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) were identified at different positions, with diameters ranging from 0.3 to 2.8 cm and a maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) ranging from 6.9 to 19.3. PMID:25400430

Purpose: Medical linear accelerator mounted cone beam CT (CBCT) scanner provides useful soft tissue contrast for purposes of image guidance in radiotherapy. The presence of extensive scattered radiation has a negative effect on soft tissue visibility and uniformity of CBCT scans. Antiscatter grids (ASG) are used in the field of diagnostic radiography to mitigate the scatter. They usually do increase the contrast of the scan, but simultaneously increase the noise. Therefore, and considering other scatter mitigation mechanisms present in a CBCT scanner, the applicability of ASGs with aluminum interspacing for a wide range of imaging conditions has been inconclusive in previous studies. In recent years, grids using fiber interspacers have appeared, providing grids with higher scatter rejection while maintaining reasonable transmission of primary radiation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of one such grid on CBCT image quality. Methods: The grid used (Philips Medical Systems) had ratio of 21:1, frequency 36 lp/cm, and nominal selectivity of 11.9. It was mounted on the kV flat panel detector of an Elekta Synergy linear accelerator and tested in a phantom and a clinical study. Due to the flex of the linac and presence of gridline artifacts an angle dependent gain correction algorithm was devised to mitigate resulting artifacts. Scan reconstruction was performed using XVI4.5 augmented with inhouse developed image lag correction and Hounsfield unit calibration. To determine the necessary parameters for Hounsfield unit calibration and software scatter correction parameters, the Catphan 600 (The Phantom Laboratory) phantom was used. Image quality parameters were evaluated using CIRS CBCT Image Quality and Electron Density Phantom (CIRS) in two different geometries: one modeling head and neck and other pelvic region. Phantoms were acquired with and without the grid and reconstructed with and without software correction which was adapted for the different

As part of the 14-year follow-up of a prospectively randomized radiostereometry (RSA) study on uncemented cup fixation, two pairs of stereo radiographs and a CTscan of 46 hips were compared. Tantalum beads, inserted during the primary operation, were detected in the CT volume and the stereo radiographs and used to produce datasets of 3D coordinates. The limit of agreement between the combined CT and RSA datasets was calculated in the same way as the precision of the double RSA examination. The precision of RSA corresponding to the 99% confidence interval was 1.36°, 1.36°, and 0.60° for X-, Y-, and Z-rotation and 0.40, 0.17, and 0.37 mm for X-, Y-, and Z-translation. The limit of agreement between CT and RSA was 1.51°, 2.17°, and 1.05° for rotation and 0.59, 0.56, and 0.74 mm for translation. The differences between CT and RSA are close to the described normal 99% confidence interval for precision in RSA: 0.3° to 2° for rotation and 0.15 to 0.6 mm for translation. We conclude that measurements using CT and RSA are comparable and that CT can be used for migration studies for longitudinal evaluations of patients with RSA markers. PMID:28243598

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic capability of gadoxetate disodium (Gd-EOB)-MRI for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared with multidetector CT (MDCT). Fifty patients with 57 surgically proven HCCs who underwent Gd-EOB-MRI and MDCT from March 2008 to June 2011 were evaluated. Two observers evaluated MR and CT on a lesion-by-lesion basis. We analyzed sensitivity by grading on a 5-point scale, the degree of arterial enhancement and the differences in histological grades in the diffusion-weighted images (DWI). The results showed that the sensitivity of Gd-EOB-MRI was higher than that of MDCT especially for HCCs that were 1 cm in diameter or smaller. The hepatobiliary phase was useful for the detecting of small HCC. We had few cases in which it was difficult to judge HCC in the arterial enhancement between MRI and MDCT. In the diffusion-weighted image, well differentiated HCC tended to show a low signal intensity, and poorly differentiated HCC tended to show a high signal intensity. In moderately differentiated HCC's, the mean diameter of the high signal intensity group was larger than that of the low signal intensity group (24.5 mm vs. 15.8 mm). In conclusion, Gd-EOB-MRI tended to show higher sensitivity compared to MDCT in the detection of HCC.

Purpose: This paper proposes a novel application of computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) to an everyday clinical dental challenge: the noninvasive differential diagnosis of periapical lesions between periapical cysts and granulomas. A histological biopsy is the most reliable method currently available for this differential diagnosis; however, this invasive procedure prevents the lesions from healing noninvasively despite a report that they may heal without surgical treatment. A CAD using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) offers an alternative noninvasive diagnostic tool which helps to avoid potentially unnecessary surgery and to investigate the unknown healing process and rate for the lesions. Methods: The proposed semiautomatic solution combines graph-based random walks segmentation with machine learning-based boosted classifiers and offers a robust clinical tool with minimal user interaction. As part of this CAD framework, the authors provide two novel technical contributions: (1) probabilistic extension of the random walks segmentation with likelihood ratio test and (2) LDA-AdaBoost: a new integration of weighted linear discriminant analysis to AdaBoost. Results: A dataset of 28 CBCT scans is used to validate the approach and compare it with other popular segmentation and classification methods. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed method with 94.1% correct classification rate and an improvement of the performance by comparison with the Simon’s state-of-the-art method by 17.6%. The authors also compare classification performances with two independent ground-truth sets from the histopathology and CBCT diagnoses provided by endodontic experts. Conclusions: Experimental results of the authors show that the proposed CAD system behaves in clearer agreement with the CBCT ground-truth than with histopathology, supporting the Simon’s conjecture that CBCT diagnosis can be as accurate as histopathology for differentiating the periapical lesions.

In computerized nodule detection systems on CTscans, many features that are useful for classifying whether a nodule candidate identified by prescreening is a true positive depend on the shape of the segmented object. We designed two segmentation algorithms for detailed delineation of the boundaries for nodule candidates. The first segmentation technique was a three-dimensional (3D) region-growing (RG) method which grew the object across multiple CT sections. The second technique was based on a 3D active contour (AC) model. A training set of 94 CTscans was used for algorithm design. An independent set of 62 scans, each read by multiple radiologists, was used for testing. Thirty-three scans were collected from patient files at the University of Michigan and 29 scans by the Lung Imaging Database Consortium (LIDC). In this study, we concentrated on the detection of internal lung nodules having a size >=3 mm that were not pure ground-glass opacities. Of the lesions marked by one or multiple radiologists, 124 nodules satisfied these criteria and were considered true nodules. The performance of the detection system in the AC feature space, RG feature space, and the combined feature space were compared using free-response receiver operating curves (FROC). The FROC curve using the combined feature space was significantly higher than that using the RG feature space or the AC feature space alone (p=0.02 and 0.03, respectively). At a sensitivity of 70% for internal non-GGO nodules, the FP rates were 2.2, 2.2, and 1.5 per scan, respectively, for the RG, AC, and the combined methods. Our results indicate that the 3D AC algorithm can provide useful features to improve nodule detection on CTscans.

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) task group 204 has recommended the use of size-dependent conversion factors to calculate size-specific dose estimate (SSDE) values from volume computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol) values. However, these conversion factors do not consider the effects of 320-detector-row volume computed tomography (CT) examinations or the new CT dosimetry metrics proposed by AAPM task group 111. This study aims to investigate the influence of these examinations and metrics on the conversion factors reported by AAPM task group 204, using Monte Carlo simulations. Simulations were performed modelling a Toshiba Aquilion ONE CT scanner, in order to compute dose values in water for cylindrical phantoms with 8-40-cm diameters at 2-cm intervals for each scanning parameter (tube voltage, bow-tie filter, longitudinal beam width). Then, the conversion factors were obtained by applying exponential regression analysis between the dose values for a given phantom diameter and the phantom diameter combined with various scanning parameters. The conversion factors for each scanning method (helical, axial, or volume scanning) and CT dosimetry method (i.e., the CTDI100 method or the AAPM task group 111 method) were in agreement with those reported by AAPM task group 204, within a percentage error of 14.2 % for phantom diameters ≥11.2 cm. The results obtained in this study indicate that the conversion factors previously presented by AAPM task group 204 can be used to provide appropriate SSDE values for 320-detector-row volume CT examinations and the CT dosimetry metrics proposed by the AAPM task group 111.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify sources of anatomical misrepresentation owing to the location of camera mounting, tumour motion velocity and image processing artefacts in order to optimize the four-dimensional CT (4DCT) scan protocol and improve geometrical–temporal accuracy. Methods: A phantom with an imaging insert was driven with a sinusoidal superior–inferior motion of varying amplitude and period for 4DCT scanning. The length of a high-density cube within the insert was measured using treatment planning software to determine the accuracy of its spatial representation. Scan parameters were varied, including the tube rotation period and the cine time between reconstructed images. A CT image quality phantom was used to measure various image quality signatures under the scan parameters tested. Results: No significant difference in spatial accuracy was found for 4DCT scans carried out using the wall- or couch-mounted camera for sinusoidal target motion. Greater spatial accuracy was found for 4DCT scans carried out using a tube rotation speed of 0.5 s rather than 1.0 s. The reduction in image quality when using a faster rotation speed was not enough to require an increase in patient dose. Conclusion: The 4DCT accuracy may be increased by optimizing scan parameters, including choosing faster tube rotation speeds. Peak misidentification in the recorded breathing trace may lead to spatial artefacts, and this risk can be reduced by using a couch-mounted infrared camera. Advances in knowledge: This study explicitly shows that 4DCT scan accuracy is improved by scanning with a faster CT tube rotation speed. PMID:25470359

CtBP2, as a transcriptional corepressor of epithelial-specific genes, has been reported to promote tumor due to upregulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer cells. CtBP2 was also demonstrated to contribute to the proliferation of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells through a negative transcriptional regulation of p16(INK4A). In this study, for the first time, we reported that CtBP2 expression, along with CCNH/CDK7, was higher in ESCC tissues with lymph node metastases than in those without lymph node metastases. Moreover, both CtBP2 and CCNH/CDK7 were positively correlated with E-cadherin, tumor grade, and tumor metastasis. However, the concrete mechanism of CtBP2's role in enhancing ESCC migration remains incompletely understood. We confirmed that CCNH/CDK7 could directly interact with CtBP2 in ESCC cells in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, our data demonstrate for the first time that CtBP2 enhanced the migration of ESCC cells in a CCNH/CDK7-dependent manner. Our results indicated that CCNH/CDK7-CtBP2 axis may augment ESCC cell migration, and targeting the interaction of both may provide a novel therapeutic target of ESCC.

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (18FDG-PET/CT) has been shown to be effective for staging human oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) but its application for cats with oral SCC is unknown. Twelve cats with biopsy-proven oral SCC were imaged with whole body 18FDG-PET/CT to determine its value as a diagnostic imaging and staging tool and fine needle aspirates were obtained of accessible regional lymph nodes. All tumors were FDG avid and conspicuous on 18FDG-PET/CT images, with an average of the maximum standardized uptake value 9.88 ± 5.33 SD (range 2.9-24.9). Soft tissue infiltrative tumors that were subtle and ill defined on CT were highly visible and more extensive on FDG-PET/CT. Tumors invading the osseous structures were more similar in extent on 18FDG-PET/CT and CT although they were more conspicuous on PET images. Three cytologically confirmed metastases were hypermetabolic on PET, while two of those metastases were equivocal on CT.

Animal experimentation is a prerequisite for preclinical evaluation of treatments such as chemotherapy. It's strictly regulated with the purpose of reducing the number of experimental animal as well as their pain. Small animal imaging should provide a painless longitudinal follow up of tumor progression on a single animal. The aim of the study is to validate small animal imaging by microscanner (μscan) in longitudinal follow up of a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to demonstrate its interest for in vivo evaluation of tumor response to different therapeutics. An HCC model achieved by orthotopic graft of the MH3924A cell line in ACI rats was followed using a Imtek/Siemens microscanner (μscan) with contrast agents (Fenestra(®) LC/VC). The procedures giving the optimal enhancement of the liver as well as a reliable determination of tumor volumes by μscan were validated. Three protocols for therapeutic assessment through μscan longitudinal follow up were performed. Each consisted in three groups testing a chemotherapy (gemcitabine, gemcitabine-oxaliplatine or sorafenib) versus two control groups (placebo and doxorubicine). Comparison was done on tumor volumes, median and actual survivals. There was a significant correlation between tumor volumes measured by μscan and autopsy. Treatment by sorafenib, at the contrary of gemcitabine alone or with oxaliplatine, resulted in a significant reduction in tumor volumes and prolongation of actuarial survival. These results are consistent with available clinical data for these diverse therapeutics. In conclusion, small animal imaging with μscan is a non-invasive, reliable, and reproducible method for preclinical evaluation of antitumor agents.

Coronary CT angiography (cCTA) has been reported to be an effective means for diagnosis of coronary artery disease. We are investigating the feasibility of developing a computer-aided detection (CADe) system to assist radiologists in detection of non-calcified plaques in coronary arteries in ECG-gated cCTA scans. In this study, we developed a prototype vessel segmentation and tracking method to extract the coronary arterial trees which will define the search space for plaque detection. Vascular structures are first enhanced by 3D multi-scale filtering and analysis of the eigenvalues of Hessian matrices using a vessel enhancement response function specifically designed for coronary arteries. The enhanced vascular structures are then segmented by an EM estimation method. The segmented coronary arteries are tracked using a 3D dynamic balloon tracking (DBT) method. For this preliminary study, two starting seed points were manually identified at the origins of the left and right coronary artery (LCA and RCA). The DBT method automatically moves a sphere along the vessel whose diameter is adjusted dynamically based on the local vessel size, tracks the vessels, and identifies its branches to generate the left and right coronary arterial trees. The algorithm was applied to 20 cCTA scans that contained various degrees of coronary artery diseases. To evaluate the performance of vessel segmentation and tracking, the rendered volume of coronary arteries tracked by our algorithm was displayed on a PC, placed next to a GE Advantage workstation on which the coronary arterial trees tracked by the GE software and the original cCTA scan were displayed. Two experienced thoracic radiologists visually examined the coronary arteries on the cCTA scan and the segmented vessels to count untracked false-negative (FN) segments and false positives (FPs). The comparison was made by radiologists' visual judgment because the digital files for the segmented vessels were not accessible on the

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer, accounting for 53,219 deaths in 2007 and an estimated 146,970 new cases in the USA during 2009. The combination of FDG PET and CT has proven to be of great benefit for the assessment of colorectal cancer. This is most evident in the detection of occult metastases, particularly intra- or extrahepatic sites of disease, that would preclude a curative procedure or in the detection of local recurrence. FDG PET is generally not used for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer although there are circumstances where PET-CT may make the initial diagnosis, particularly with its more widespread use. In addition, precancerous adenomatous polyps can also be detected incidentally on whole-body images performed for other indications; sensitivity increases with increasing polyp size. False-negative FDG PET findings have been reported with mucinous adenocarcinoma, and false-positive findings have been reported due to inflammatory conditions such as diverticulitis, colitis, and postoperative scarring. Therefore, detailed evaluation of the CT component of a PET/CT exam, including assessment of the entire colon, is essential.

Background L1CAM was originally identified as an adhesion molecule involved in neural development. In many human carcinomas L1CAM is over-expressed and is associated with a bad prognosis. We previously reported that L1CAM was absent in the vast majority of endometrioid endometrial carcinomas (ECs) (type 1) but was strongly expressed in the more aggressive serous and clear-cell ECs (termed type 2). The differential regulation of L1CAM in ECs is not well understood. Recent evidence suggests that it can be regulated by epigenetic mechanisms. Here we investigated the role of DNA-methylation of the L1CAM promoter for expression. We also studied the relationship to cancer testis (CT-X) antigens that co-localize with L1CAM on chromosome Xq28, a region that is often activated in human tumors. Methods We used EC cell lines and primary tumor tissues for our analysis. For expression analysis we employed RT-PCR and Western blotting. DNA-Methylation of the L1CAM promoter was determined after bisulfite conversation and DNA sequencing. Tumor tissues were examined by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. Results We demonstrate that the treatment of L1CAM low/negative expressing EC cell lines with 5′-Azacytidine (5-AzaC) or knock-down of DNMT1 (DNA methyltransferase 1) as well as the HDAC (histone deacetylase) inhibitor Trichostatin A (TSA) up-regulated L1CAM at the mRNA and protein level. The L1CAM gene has two promoter regions with two distinct CpG islands. We observed that the expression of L1CAM correlated with hypermethylation in promoter 1 and 5-AzaC treatment affected the DNA-methylation pattern in this region. The CT-X antigens NY-ESO-1, MAGE-A3 and MAGE-A4 were also strongly up-regulated by 5-AzaC or knock-down of DNMT1 but did not respond to treatment with TSA. Primary EC tumor tissues showed a variable methylation pattern of the L1CAM promoter. No striking differences in promoter methylation were observed between tumor areas with L1CAM expression and those without

FDG PET/CT is perceived as a valuable diagnostic tool in addition to the standard diagnostic workup for patients with isolated neck lymph nodes of squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary (SCCUP). For patients with SCCUP intended for primary radiotherapy, we hypothesize that the previously reported FDG PET/CT detection rates are too high. From 2008 to 2015, 30 SCCUP patients were examined with FDG PET/CT. The objective of the FDG PET/CT examination was twofold: (1) improve the radiotherapy target definition, and (2) identify the primary cancer. Before the FDG PET/CT, the patients had been through a standard workup consisting of CT of the neck and chest, examination with flexible endoscopy with patient awake, panendoscopy and examination under general anesthesia, tonsillectomy and sometimes blind sampling biopsies, and MRI (floor of the mouth). All FDG PET/CTs were performed applying a flat table, head support and fixation mask as part of the radiotherapy treatment planning. Diagnostic CT with contrast was an integrated part of the PET/CT examination. Only 1/30 patients (cancer of the vallecula) had their primary cancer detected by FDG PET/CT. In addition, a non-biopsied patient with high uptake in the ipsilateral palatine tonsil was included, giving a detection rate of ≤7 % (95 % CI 2-21 %). In this retrospective study, we found that the FDG PET/CT detection rate of the primary for SCCUP patients is lower than previously reported. It is questionable whether FDG PET/CT is necessary for these patients when improved, advanced workup is available.

We report the case of a 59-year-old male who underwent embolization and computed-tomography-guided radiofrequency ablation of a recurrent renal cell carcinoma that developed after radical nephrectomy in contiguity to the inferior vena cava. The alternative of a new operation was rejected because of the proximity of the tumor to the vessel and percutaneous approach seemed to be the better solution.

This study investigates the feasibility of obtaining CT-derived 3D surfaces from data provided by the scanning-beam digital x-ray (SBDX) system. Simulated SBDX short-scan acquisitions of a Shepp-Logan and a thorax phantom containing a high contrast spherical volume were generated. 3D reconstructions were performed using a penalized weighted least squares method with total variation regularization (PWLS-TV), as well as a more efficient variant employing gridding of projection data to parallel rays (gPWLS-TV). Voxel noise, edge blurring, and surface accuracy were compared to gridded filtered back projection (gFBP). PWLS reconstruction of a noise-free reduced-size Shepp-Logan phantom had 1.4% rRMSE. In noisy gPWLS-TV reconstructions of a reduced-size thorax phantom, 99% of points on the segmented sphere perimeter were within 0.33, 0.47, and 0.70 mm of the ground truth, respectively, for fluences comparable to imaging through 18.0, 27.2, and 34.6 cm acrylic. Surface accuracies of gFBP and gPWLS-TV were similar at high fluences, while gPWLS-TV offered improvement at the lowest fluence. The gPWLS-TV voxel noise was reduced by 60% relative to gFBP, on average. High-contrast linespread functions measured 1.25 mm and 0.96 mm (FWHM) for gPWLS-TV and gFBP. In a simulation of gated and truncated projection data from a full-sized thorax, gPWLS-TV reconstruction yielded segmented surface points which were within 1.41 mm of ground truth. Results support the feasibility of 3D surface segmentation with SBDX. Further investigation of artifacts caused by data truncation and patient motion is warranted.

This study investigates the feasibility of obtaining CT-derived 3D surfaces from data provided by the scanning-beam digital x-ray (SBDX) system. Simulated SBDX short-scan acquisitions of a Shepp-Logan and a thorax phantom containing a high contrast spherical volume were generated. 3D reconstructions were performed using a penalized weighted least squares method with total variation regularization (PWLS-TV), as well as a more efficient variant employing gridding of projection data to parallel rays (gPWLS-TV). Voxel noise, edge blurring, and surface accuracy were compared to gridded filtered back projection (gFBP). PWLS reconstruction of a noise-free reduced-size Shepp-Logan phantom had 1.4% rRMSE. In noisy gPWLS-TV reconstructions of a reduced-size thorax phantom, 99% of points on the segmented sphere perimeter were within 0.33, 0.47, and 0.70 mm of the ground truth, respectively, for fluences comparable to imaging through 18.0, 27.2, and 34.6 cm acrylic. Surface accuracies of gFBP and gPWLS-TV were similar at high fluences, while gPWLS-TV offered improvement at the lowest fluence. The gPWLS-TV voxel noise was reduced by 60% relative to gFBP, on average. High-contrast linespread functions measured 1.25 mm and 0.96 mm (FWHM) for gPWLS-TV and gFBP. In a simulation of gated and truncated projection data from a full-sized thorax, gPWLS-TV reconstruction yielded segmented surface points which were within 1.41 mm of ground truth. Results support the feasibility of 3D surface segmentation with SBDX. Further investigation of artifacts caused by data truncation and patient motion is warranted.

AIM To evaluate the value of pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET/CT in patients with HCC following liver radioembolization. METHODS We identified 34 patients with HCC who underwent an FDG PET/CTscan prior to hepatic radioembolization at our institution between 2009 and 2013. Patients were seen in clinic one month after radioembolization and then at 2-3 mo intervals. We assessed the influence of FDG tumor uptake on outcomes including local liver control (LLC), distant liver control (DLC), time to distant metastases (DM), progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS The majority of patients were males (n = 25, 74%), and had Child Pugh Class A (n = 31, 91%), with a median age of 68 years (46-84 years). FDG-avid disease was found in 19 (56%) patients with SUVmax ranging from 3 to 20. Female patients were more likely to have an FDG-avid HCC (P = 0.02). Median follow up of patients following radioembolization was 12 months (1.2-62.8 mo). FDG-avid disease was associated with a decreased 1 year LLC, DLC, DM and PFS (P < 0.05). Using multivariate analysis, FDG avidity predicted for LLC, DLC, and PFS (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION In this retrospective study, pre-treatment HCC FDG-avidity was found to be associated with worse LLC, DLC, and PFS following radioembolization. Larger studies are needed to validate our initial findings to assess the role of F-18-FDG PET/CTscans as biomarker for patients with HCC following radioembolization. PMID:28058021

Purpose: This review of scanners from 4 major manufacturers examines the clinical impact of performing CTscans that extend into areas of the body that were not acquired in the CT localizer radiograph. Methods: Anthropomorphic chest and abdomen phantoms were positioned together on the tables of CT scanners from 4 different vendors. All of the scanners offered an Automatic Exposure Control (AEC) option with both lateral and axial tube current modulation. A localizer radiograph was taken covering the entire extent of both phantoms and then the scanner's Chest-Abdomen-Pelvis (CAP) study was performed with the clinical AEC settings employed and the scan and reconstruction range extending from the superior portion of the chest phantom through the inferior portion of the abdomen phantom. A new study was then initiated with a localizer radiograph extending the length of the chest phantom (not covering the abdomen phantom). The same CAP protocol and AEC settings were then used to scan and reconstruct the entire length of both phantoms. Scan parameters at specific locations in the abdomen phantom from both studies were investigated using the information contained in the DICOM metadata of the reconstructed images. Results: The AEC systems on all scanners utilized different tube current settings in the abdomen phantom for the scan completed without the full localizer radiograph. The AEC system behavior was also scanner dependent with the default manual tube current, the maximum tube current and the tube current at the last known position observed as outcomes. Conclusion: The behavior of the AEC systems of CT scanners in regions not covered by the localizer radiograph is vendor dependent. To ensure optimal image quality and radiation exposure it is important to include the entire planned scan region in the localizer radiograph.

Purpose: To evaluate the patient organ dose differences between the arms-raised and arms-lowered postures in Torso multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scan protocols with tube current modulation (TCM). Methods: Patient CT organ doses were simulated using the Monte Carlo method with human phantoms and a validated CT scanner model. A set of adult human phantoms with arms raised and arms lowered postures were developed using advanced BREP-based mesh surface geometries. Organ doses from routine Torso scan protocols such as chest, abdomen-pelvis, and CAP scans were simulated. The organ doses differences caused by two different posutres were investigated when tube current modulation (TCM) were applied during the CTscan. Results: With TCM applied, organ doses of all the listed organs of arms-lowered posture phantom are larger than those of arms raised phantom. The dose difference for most of the organs or tissues are larger than 50%, and the skin doses difference for abdomen-pelvis scan even reaches 112.03%. This is due to the fact that the tube current for patient with arms-lowered is much higher than for the arms raised posture. Conclusion: Considering CTscan with TCM, which is commonly applied clinically, patients who could not raise their arms will receive higher radiation dose than the arms raised patient, with dose differences for some tissues such as the skin being larger than 100%. This is due to the additional tube current necessary to penetrate the arms while maintaining consistent image quality. National Nature Science Foundation of China(No.11475047)

This paper describes a knowledge-based image interpretation system for the segmentation and labeling of a series of 2-D brain X-ray CT-scans, parallel to the orbito-metal plane. The system combines the image primitive information produced by different low level vision techniques in order to improve the reliability of the segmentation and the image interpretation. It is implemented in a blackboard environment that is holding various types of prior information and which controls the interpretation process. The scoring model is applied for the fusion of information derived from three types of image primitives (points, edges, and regions). A model, containing both analogical and propositional knowledge on the brain objects, is used to direct the interpretation process. The linguistic variables, introduced to describe the propositional features of the brain model, are defined by fuzzy membership functions. Constraint functions are applied to evaluate the plausibility of the mapping between image primitives and brain model data objects. Procedural knowledge has been integrated into different knowledge sources. Experimental results illustrate the reliability and robustness of the system against small variations in slice orientation and interpatient variability in the images.

Lymph nodes play an important role in clinical practice but detection is challenging due to low contrast surrounding structures and variable size and shape. We propose a fully automatic method for mediastinal lymph node detection on thoracic CTscans. First, lungs are automatically segmented to locate the mediastinum region. Shape features by Hessian analysis, local scale, and circular transformation are computed at each voxel. Spatial prior distribution is determined based on the identification of multiple anatomical structures (esophagus, aortic arch, heart, etc.) by using multi-atlas label fusion. Shape features and spatial prior are then integrated for lymph node detection. The detected candidates are segmented by curve evolution. Characteristic features are calculated on the segmented lymph nodes and support vector machine is utilized for classification and false positive reduction. We applied our method to 20 patients with 62 enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes. The system achieved a significant improvement with 80% sensitivity at 8 false positives per patient with spatial prior compared to 45% sensitivity at 8 false positives per patient without a spatial prior.

The insole shape and the resulting plantar stress distribution have a pivotal impact on overall health. In this paper, by Finite Element Method, maximum stress value and stress distribution of plantar were studied for different insoles designs, which are the flat surface and the custom-molded (conformal) surface. Moreover, insole thickness, heel's height, and different materials were used to minimize the maximum stress and achieve the most uniform stress distribution. The foot shape and its details used in this paper were imported from online CT-Scan images. Results show that the custom-molded insole reduced maximum stress 40% more than the flat surface insole. Upon increase of thickness in both insole types, stress distribution becomes more uniform and maximum stress value decreases up to 10%; however, increase of thickness becomes ineffective above a threshold of 1 cm. By increasing heel height (degree of insole), maximum stress moves from heel to toes and becomes more uniform. Therefore, this scenario is very helpful for control of stress in 0.2° to 0.4° degrees for custom-molded insole and over 1° for flat insole. By changing the material of the insole, the value of maximum stress remains nearly constant. The custom-molded (conformal) insole which has 0.5 to 1 cm thickness and 0.2° to 0.4° degrees is found to be the most compatible form for foot. PMID:27843284

Craniosynostosis (premature fusion of skull sutures) is a severe condition present in one of every 2000 newborns. Metopic craniosynostosis, accounting for 20-27% of cases, is diagnosed qualitatively in terms of skull shape abnormality, a subjective call of the surgeon. In this paper we introduce a new quantitative diagnostic feature for metopic craniosynostosis derived optimally from shape analysis of CTscans of the skull. We built a robust shape analysis pipeline that is capable of obtaining local shape differences in comparison to normal anatomy. Spatial normalization using 7-degree-of-freedom registration of the base of the skull is followed by a novel bone labeling strategy based on graph-cuts according to labeling priors. The statistical shape model built from 94 normal subjects allows matching a patient's anatomy to its most similar normal subject. Subsequently, the computation of local malformations from a normal subject allows characterization of the points of maximum malformation on each of the frontal bones adjacent to the metopic suture, and on the suture itself. Our results show that the malformations at these locations vary significantly (p<0.001) between abnormal/normal subjects and that an accurate diagnosis can be achieved using linear regression from these automatic measurements with an area under the curve for the receiver operating characteristic of 0.97.

Model-based segmentation methods have the advantage of incorporating a priori shape information into the segmentation process but suffer from the drawback that the model must be initialized sufficiently close to the target. We propose a novel approach for initializing an active shape model (ASM) and apply it to 3D lung segmentation in CTscans. Our method constructs an atlas consisting of a set of representative lung features and an average lung shape. The ASM pose parameters are found by transforming the average lung shape based on an affine transform computed from matching features between the new image and representative lung features. Our evaluation on a diverse set of 190 images showed an average dice coefficient of 0.746 ± 0.068 for initialization and 0.974 ± 0.017 for subsequent segmentation, based on an independent reference standard. The mean absolute surface distance error was 0.948 ± 1.537 mm. The initialization as well as segmentation results showed a statistically significant improvement compared to four other approaches. The proposed initialization method can be generalized to other applications employing ASM-based segmentation. PMID:25400660

Segmentation of the mesenteric vasculature has important applications for evaluation of the small bowel. In particular, it may be useful for small bowel path reconstruction and precise localization of small bowel tumors such as carcinoid. Segmentation of the mesenteric vasculature is very challenging, even for manual labeling, because of the low contrast and tortuosity of the small blood vessels. Many vessel segmentation methods have been proposed. However, most of them are designed for segmenting large vessels. We propose a semi-automated method to extract the mesenteric vasculature on contrast-enhanced abdominal CTscans. First, the internal abdominal region of the body is automatically identified. Second, the major vascular branches are segmented using a multi-linear vessel tracing method. Third, small mesenteric vessels are segmented using multi-view multi-scale vesselness enhancement filters. The method is insensitive to image contrast, variations of vessel shape and small occlusions due to overlapping. The method could automatically detect mesenteric vessels with diameters as small as 1 mm. Compared with the standard-of-reference manually labeled by an expert radiologist, the segmentation accuracy (recall rate) for the whole mesenteric vasculature was 82.3% with a 3.6% false positive rate.

We describe the role of (18)F-sodium fluoride ((18)F-NaF) PET/CT bone scanning in the staging of breast and prostate cancer. (18)F-NaF PET was initially utilized as a bone scanning agent in the 1960s and early 1970s, however, its use was restricted by the then-available γ-cameras. The advent of hybrid PET/CT cameras in the late 1990s has shown a resurgence of interest in its use and role. After a brief introduction, this paper describes the radiopharmaceutical properties, dosimetry, pharmacokinetics, and mechanism of uptake of (18)F-NaF. The performance of (18)F-NaF PET/CT is then compared with that of conventional bone scintigraphy using current evidence from the literature. Strengths and weaknesses of (18)F-NaF PET/CT imaging are highlighted. Clinical examples of improved accuracy of diagnosis and impact on patient management are illustrated. Limitations of (18)F-NaF PET/CT imaging are outlined.

Emphysema is a disease of the lungs that destroys the alveolar air sacs and induces long-term respiratory dysfunction. CTscans allow for the imaging of the anatomical basis of emphysema and quantification of the underlying disease state. Several measures have been introduced for the quantification emphysema directly from CT data; most,however, are based on the analysis of density information provided by the CTscans, which vary by scanner and can be hard to standardize across sites and time. Given that one of the anatomical variations associated with the progression of emphysema is the flatting of the diaphragm due to the loss of elasticity in the lung parenchyma, curvature analysis of the diaphragm would provide information about emphysema from CT. Therefore, we propose a new, non-density based measure of the curvature of the diaphragm that would allow for further quantification methods in a robust manner. To evaluate the new method, 24 whole-lung scans were analyzed using the ratios of the lung height and diaphragm width to diaphragm height as curvature estimates as well as using the emphysema index as comparison. Pearson correlation coefficients showed a strong trend of several of the proposed diaphragm curvature measures to have higher correlations, of up to r=0.57, with DLCO% and VA than did the emphysema index. Furthermore, we found emphysema index to have only a 0.27 correlation to the proposed measures, indicating that the proposed measures evaluate different aspects of the disease.

The purpose of this study is to test a new dynamic Perfusion-CT imaging protocol in an animal model and investigate the feasibility of quantifying perfusion of lung parenchyma to perform functional analysis from 4D CT image data. A novel perfusion-CT protocol was designed with 25 scanning time points: the first at baseline and 24 scans after a bolus injection of contrast material. Post-contrast CTscanning images were acquired with a high sampling rate before the first blood recirculation and then a relatively low sampling rate until 10 minutes after administrating contrast agent. Lower radiation techniques were used to keep the radiation dose to an acceptable level. 2 Yorkshire swine with pulmonary emboli underwent this perfusion- CT protocol at suspended end inspiration. The software tools were designed to measure the quantitative perfusion parameters (perfusion, permeability, relative blood volume, blood flow, wash-in & wash-out enhancement) of voxel or interesting area of lung. The perfusion values were calculated for further lung functional analysis and presented visually as contrast enhancement maps for the volume being examined. The results show increased CT temporal sampling rate provides the feasibility of quantifying lung function and evaluating the pulmonary emboli. Differences between areas with known perfusion defects and those without perfusion defects were observed. In conclusion, the techniques to calculate the lung perfusion on animal model have potential application in human lung functional analysis such as evaluation of functional effects of pulmonary embolism. With further study, these techniques might be applicable in human lung parenchyma characterization and possibly for lung nodule characterization.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of ultrasound-computed tomography (US-CT) 3D dual imaging for the detection of small extranodular growths of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The clinical and pathological profiles of 10 patients with single nodular type HCC with extranodular growth (extranodular growth) who underwent a hepatectomy were evaluated using two-dimensional (2D) ultrasonography (US), three-dimensional (3D) US, 3D computed tomography (CT) and 3D US-CT dual images. Raw 3D data was converted to DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine) data using Echo to CT (Toshiba Medical Systems Corp., Tokyo, Japan), and the 3D DICOM data was directly transferred to the image analysis system (ZioM900, ZIOSOFT Inc., Tokyo, Japan). By inputting the angle number (x, y, z) of the 3D CT volume data into the ZioM900, multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) images of the 3D CT data were displayed in a manner such that they resembled the conventional US images. Eleven extranodular growths were detected pathologically in 10 cases. 2D US was capable of depicting only 2 of the 11 extranodular growths. 3D CT was capable of depicting 4 of the 11 extranodular growths. On the other hand, 3D US was capable of depicting 10 of the 11 extranodular growths, and 3D US-CT dual images, which enable the dual analysis of the CT and US planes, revealed all 11 extranodular growths. In conclusion, US-CT 3D dual imaging may be useful for the detect